Aide to Ukrainian Armed Forces’ commander-in-chief killed at home by grenade during birthday celebration

Hennadii Chastiakov, aide to Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, was killed when a grenade exploded during a birthday celebration at his home in the Kyiv region, reports Ukrainska Pravda, citing sources in law enforcement. Zaluzhnyi confirmed the information himself:

[It is an] inexpressible pain and a heavy loss for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and for me personally. Today, under tragic circumstances on his birthday surrounded by his family, my assistant and close friend Major Hennadii Chastiakov died. An unknown explosive device went off in one of the gifts. Hennadii is survived by his wife and four children. My deepest condolences to the family.

Maryana Reva, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Ministry, said that “a 39-year-old military man died at home due to careless handling of ammunition,” reports Ukrainska Pravda.

Chastiakov’s wife told law enforcement that the grenade that exploded in her husband’s hands was in a gift bag he had brought home which also contained a bottle of spirits and souvenir shot glasses in the shape of grenades, according to Ukrainska Pravda’s source.

A source from the publication Strana reported that Chastiakov’s 13-year-old son suffered shrapnel wounds to the face, while his daughter was unharmed. Police found five more grenades in the apartment.

Ukrainian journalist Andriy Tsaplienko, citing a source in law enforcement, asserts that the explosion was caused by careless handling of a grenade. According to Tsaplienko’s information, Chastiakov allegedly took out one of the grenades and began demonstrating how to handle it, with his son nearby.