Major Hennadii Chastiakov, an aide to the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, lost his life in an explosion at his home on November 6, 2023. The explosion, caused by a grenade he received as a gift for his 39th birthday, also left his 13-year-old son with serious injuries.
During the evening of the incident, Chastiakov was showing his family the set of six grenades. His son, exploring one of the grenades, unintentionally twisted its ring. Chatiakov grabbed the grenade from him and the pin was pulled out, triggering the explosion that killed the Major and injured the boy.
The Ukrainian Interior Minister, Ihor Klymenko, described the incident as an unfortunate accident. The grenades were a gift from a colleague of Chastiakov. After the blast, police secured the remaining five grenades from his home. An investigation into the colleague led to the discovery of additional grenades in their office.
Ukrainian legislator Mariana Bezuhla called for an in-depth investigation into the incident, noting that grenades are typically subject to strict distribution protocols and are not intended for personal possession or gifting.
Authorities from the Ukrainian law enforcement and military are investigating to ascertain whether the explosion was a mere accident or if there were other contributing factors.
Major Hennadii Chastiakov was a key figure in the Ukrainian armed forces, assisting one of the nation’s top military leaders.
