News Feed

Council member who detonated grenades in government building is charged with terrorism, detained without bail

1 min read
Council member who detonated grenades in government building is charged with terrorism, detained without bail
The aftermath of an explosion caused when a local official detonated grenades in a government building in Zakarpattia Oblast on Dec. 15. (National Police)

A local council member, alleged to be Serhii Batryn, was charged with terrorism and was ruled to be kept in pre-trial detention without bail.

On Dec. 15, he allegedly detonated three grenades inside a crowded room in a local government building in the western Zakarpattia Oblast, killing one and injuring 22.

The police released a video showing a man walking into a crowded room, which they identified as a local government building in the village of Keretsky, Zakarpattia Oblast.

The man then pulls out two grenades, removes their pins, and drops them on the floor. Explosions and screaming follow, and the screen is filled with smoke.

The police did not identify the suspected perpetrator of the bombing, but Ukrainska Pravda and other media outlets alleged that it was Batryn.

Batryn, a member of the Keretsky Village Council, was elected on the ticket of the governing Servant of the People party and, according to authorities, was attempting to “influence decision-making.”

The regional media outlet Zakarpattia24 shared a video in which Batryn complains about other local officials. Zakarpattia24 also said that Batryn had previously feuded with colleagues about a wartime pay increase for the head of the village council.

Before he detonated the grenades, Batryn allegedly got into an argument with his coworkers about the issue, who refused to take his side. After the dispute, Zakarpattia24 said he left and returned with the grenades.

Avatar
The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

Read more
News Feed

In a Russian attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia on the morning of March 21, a father and mother of two girls were killed, and 6 people injured, including two girls aged 11 and 15, Fedorov said. The girls are daughters of the parents killed in the strike, Ukraine's State Emergency Service later said.

Russian citizens Yurii Korzhavin and Lidiya Korzhavina were removed from the U.S. sanctions list on March 20, along with other individuals and entities linked to Russia. The Korzhavins were sanctioned in 2024 for their ties to the Russian transport and logistics company Elfor TL.

Show More