NewsDeadly dispute: Ukrainian councilor's grenade attack leaves one dead, 26 injured during meeting

Deadly dispute: Ukrainian councilor's grenade attack leaves one dead, 26 injured during meeting

Drama at the village council meeting
Drama at the village council meeting
Images source: © X

4:59 AM EST, December 16, 2023

The incident took place on Friday morning during a village council session in Transcarpathia. A video of the incident later surfaced online.

Grenade detonated during council session

As seen in the video, an individual positioned near the door attempts to interject, asking: "Can I speak now? Can I?". After a moment, he pulls a grenade from his pocket and tosses it onto the floor. Two more follow, landing between the main table and the area where other meeting participants are sitting.

The room is then filled with the noise of three loud explosions, followed by fire, smoke, and the screams of the people present.

Multiple injuries sustained

Initially, police reported one fatality - the perpetrator of the incident - along with 11 injuries. Subsequent reports relayed by the media updated the injury count to 26 people, with six in critical condition.

According to preliminary information, the grenades were thrown by Serhiy Batryn, a councilor from the Servant of the People party. Detailed reasons behind his actions are unknown yet, but it's reported that the councilor had disagreements with several decisions made during the council meeting. The incident is being investigated as a potential act of terrorism.

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