UKRAINE – A close adviser to the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Major Hennadiy Chastyakov, has died after he was accidentally blown up by a grenade given to him as a birthday present.
The Major had received a gift box from a colleague for his birthday on Monday that contained several “Western model” grenades, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram.
Chastyakov’s 13-year-old son then picked up one of the grenades and started turning the ring, Klymenko wrote. As Chastyakov took the grenade from him, the ring was pulled out and the weapon detonated.
Confirming the report, General Valery Zaluzhny, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, wrote on Telegram that his “assistant and close friend” died “under tragic circumstances.”
Police found five more unexploded grenades in the apartment, Klymenko said.
Kyiv regional police reported that the assistant’s son was seriously injured by the explosion, and is being medically treated.
The individual who had gifted the grenades to Chastyakov has been identified as a fellow serviceman, and the authorities found two similar grenades during a search of his office.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated, and an investigation is ongoing, although the Ukrainian interior ministry initially considered the death an “accident” based on preliminary information.
Mariana Reva, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, explained that the gift came in the form of a box with alcohol and six grenades inside.
The colleague had emphasized that these were combat grenades, but sadly, the seriousness of the situation was not fully understood by the deceased, Reva said.
Major Hennadiy Chastyakov had been a loyal and dedicated member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, serving alongside General Zaluzhny in the conflict with Russia.
He had a wife and four children; in addition to the son’s injuries, his daughter suffered minor injuries, according to Reva.