Skip to content
Edit post

Police: Local official detonates grenades in government building, 1 dead, at least 26 wounded

by Nate Ostiller December 15, 2023 2:19 PM 2 min read
The aftermath of an explosion caused when a local official detonated grenades in a government building in Zakarpattia Oblast on Dec. 15. (National Police)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Editor's Note: This is a developing story and will be updated to reflect new information.

A village council member detonated at least two grenades inside a crowded room in a local government building in the western Zakarpattia Oblast on Dec. 15, Ukraine's National Police said.

According to the preliminary information, at least one person was killed and 26 were wounded, including six in serious condition. It is not clear whether the official who detonated the grenades was wounded or killed.

The incident is being investigated as a potential terror attack, the police said.

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.

He 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 Serhii Batryn, a village council member of the Servant of the People party.

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.  

Ukraine war latest: Zelensky visits US military base in Germany
Key developments on Dec. 14: * Zelensky arrives in Germany, visits US military base * Explosions heard in Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi Oblast in Russian missile attack on Ukraine * European Council agrees to open accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova * Putin: Russia allocating $11 billion per year to ’in…

News Feed

5:15 AM

Media identifies nearly 85,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine.

According to the outlets' conclusions for the year, 2024 will likely mark the "war's deadliest year," with a current count of over 20,000 deaths confirmed over the past 12 months — although final conclusions cannot yet be made as data on casualties continues to emerge.
11:17 PM

Zelensky meets with CIA director in Kyiv.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 21 that he met with CIA Director William Burns in Ukraine, marking a rare public acknowledgment of their discussions during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
4:16 AM

IMF approves $1.1 billion in funding for Ukraine.

The IMF approved the $1.1 billion tranche after completing its sixth review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), a plan to provide Ukraine with over $15 billion in budget support over four years.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.