Dozens Hit as Official Calmly Detonates Grenades at Livestreamed Council Meeting
The alleged perpetrator was himself a deputy on the council, according to reports.
National Police of Ukraine
Dozens of people were wounded when a local councilor detonated grenades during a council meeting in Ukraine on Friday, local authorities said.
The National Police of Ukraine said 26 people were hurt—including six seriously—when a deputy of the Keretsk village council in the western Transcarpathian region set off the explosives. Authorities were contacted about the incident by a woman watching a livestream of the meeting, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Extremely distressing footage shows a man wearing dark clothing enter the room where the council meeting is taking place. He then appears to take two grenades from his jacket pockets and shout something as he brandishes them to other people in the room who largely ignore him. Loud snapping sounds can be heard as he seemingly proceeds to arm the grenades and casually drop them on the floor. A series of three explosions mixed with screams can be heard.
The recording continues showing some people attempting to flee the smoke-filled room. Others, injured, remain on the floor, which is slicked with blood. The video ends as others enter the room and attempt to help the wounded.
Police initially said the man who had detonated the grenades “died as a result of the explosion,” while 11 others were injured, but later issued an update saying medics were “performing resuscitation measures” on the perpetrator and that 26 people had been injured.
Investigations have now been opened under sections of the Ukrainian Criminal Code concerning terrorist acts as well as the illegal handling of weapons, ammunition, or explosives, authorities said.
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The press service of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said the agency had already started looking into the incident. “Urgent measures are being taken to find out all the circumstances of the crime,” the SBU said. “In particular, the eyewitnesses and witnesses of the event, as well as the motives of the bomber, are being established.”
The incident comes after a senior adviser to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was killed last month when a grenade he was given as a birthday present exploded in an apparent accident.
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