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