A close adviser to the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Army was killed on his birthday after a grenade that was placed amongst his birthday gifts exploded.
Initially, the incident was termed as an assassination until further details revealed that Major Gennadiy Chastiakov, 39, had received a box of grenades as a gift.
Some local reports claimed that a real grenade was placed amongst novelty gifts shaped to look like grenades.
Ukraine’s interior minister Igor Klymenko in a statement on Monday (Nov 6) said that Chastiakov was showing his gift to his son when the explosion took place.
“At first, the son took the munition in his hands and began to turn the ring. Then the serviceman took the grenade away from the child and pulled the ring, causing a tragic explosion,” Klymenko said.
Real grenade placed among novelty ones
His 13-year-old son was also seriously injured, Ukrainska Pravda newspaper reported citing the police, and added that Chastiakov’s wife saw her husband bringing the gift box, which had the real grenade, home.
Army Gen Valery Zaluzhny condoled Chastiakov’s death on Telegram.
“Under tragic circumstances, my assistant and close friend, Major Gennadiy Chastiakov, was killed … on his birthday,” Zaluzhny said, adding that an “unknown explosive device detonated in one of his gifts”.
Zaluzhny said that since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Chastiakov had been “fully devoting his life to the armed forces of Ukraine and the fight against Russian aggression”.
A fellow soldier has been detained by the police who gave the fatal gift to Chastiakov. Two similar grenades were seized from him. An investigation was underway.
Chastiakov is survived by a wife and four children.
According to local media reports, Chastiakov was a graduate of a military academy and fully trained in handling grenades.
Zelenskyy rejects the idea of wartime election
Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the possibility of holding elections during the wartime as debates gain pace over a possible voting.
Zelensky said it was critical to concentrate on the military challenges facing Ukraine, he said in a nightly video address.
“We all understand that now, in wartime, when there are many challenges, it is utterly irresponsible to engage in topics related to an election in such a frivolous manner,” he said Monday.
“We need to recognise that this is a time for defence, a time for battle, upon which the fate of the state and its people depend … I believe that elections are not appropriate at this time.”
Ukraine was placed under martial at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. It prohibits authorities from holding elections.
(With inputs from agencies)
