A Ukrainian military officer was killed in Kyiv on Monday after someone accidentally pulled the pin to a grenade the victim had received as a birthday gift.
Major Henadiy Chastyakov — a close aide to Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army — died Monday in the explosion, which also injured his 13-year-old son, according to CBS News. The incident was not a targeted attack but was apparently brought about by Chastyakov’s poor judgment, Ukraine’s interior minister said on Telegram, per the outlet.
top aide to Ukraine’s military commander was showing off grenades given to him for his birthday when he “pulled the ring, leading to a tragic explosion.” https://t.co/q0PFXDjRRg
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 7, 2023
Initial reports characterized the incident as a possible assassination, the Guardian noted.
While Chastyakov was showing the grenades to his family, his son reached into the box, grabbed a grenade and began twisting its pin, according to CBS News. The major “then took the grenade from the child and pulled the ring, leading to a tragic explosion,” the Telegram statement explained. (RELATED: ‘We’re Not Winning’: Zelenskyy Aide Reportedly Calls President ‘Delusional’)
“According to the information we have now, we can say that it was an accident, negligent ammunition handling,” Mariana Reva, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s interior ministry said on national TV, per CNN.
Police are investigating the incident, and Chastyakov’s son is in the hospital receiving medical treatment, CBS reported.