The village council member behind a grenade attack that left one dead and 23 wounded will be held in custody without bail for two months, according to Ukraine’s Prosecutor-General.
The incident occurred on Friday in the village of Keretsky in Zakarpattia Oblast, located near Ukraine’s borders with Slovakia and Hungary. A man later identified as Serhii Batryn—a member of Zelensky’s Servant of the People party—threw at least two grenades, which then exploded, on the floor of the room in a government building.
Footage of the incident was released by Ukrainian police showing the man identified as Batryn entering an ongoing meeting that appeared to be in the middle of a heated debate and attempting to speak, before dropping both grenades on the floor just moments later.
At least one person is believed to have been killed in the explosion—with the deceased yet to be identified—while six others were severely injured by the blast, among the 26 injured overall.
Local broadcaster Zakarpattia24 reports that the incident took place just days after Batryn released a video complaining about other local officials and disputed a large salary increase for the head of the council of the village, which included a 100% bonus to the council chief’s salary.
This controversy is believed to have helped fuel the attack since Batryn had argued with other council members before leaving the room and returning with the grenades.
The Security Service of Ukraine, the SBU, has stated that it will be investigating the incident as an act of terrorism, while local police are investigating the matter under laws on the illegal handling of weapons and explosives.
It is unclear how the city councillor was able to procure the grenades. While Ukraine has been at war with Russia since February 2022, Zakarpattia Oblast is nowhere near the frontlines.
There is concern that weapons from the conflict could proliferate to other areas, including parts of Europe. Police fear that organised gangs will purchase weapons from the conflict that have been trafficked across the border.
Swedish Inspector Gunnar Appelgren announced in July 2022 that Swedish police were concerned about small arms proliferation saying, “There is a high risk of flows of illegal weapons entering Sweden.”
The European Union is also taking the matter seriously. European Commissioner Ylva Johansson stated in October 2022 that the EU was taking measures to make sure that after the Ukraine-Russia war ends, weapons are not trafficked to Europe.
“At the moment, the weapons are being used to defend themselves against the Russian invasion. But one day this war will be over and we have learned that weapons can be lost long after a war has ended,” Johansson said.
