Ukrainian military commander Valery Zaluzhny confirmed on November 6 that Major Chastiakov, one of his assistants, had died at his home in Kyiv province that evening. The cause is believed to be an explosion caused by one of the birthday presents Chastiakov brought home that day.
Ukrainian media later revealed new details related to the incident. Ukrainska Pravda quoted Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as saying that on November 6, Mr. Chastiakov received birthday gifts from his colleagues. After returning home, he and his family opened the gifts, including a box containing "new Western-style" grenades. He showed the grenades to his son.
Scene of the explosion
Mr Chastiakov’s son picked up a grenade and began to unscrew the metal ring attached to the safety pin. The major then took the grenade from his son and pulled the safety pin, causing the grenade to explode, according to Klymenko. Mr Chastiakov, 39, died at the scene while his 13-year-old son was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Mr Klymenko confirmed that police found five more such unexploded grenades at Mr Chastiakov's home and said they would be sent for examination.
According to Mr Klymenko, the police have found the colleague who gave the fatal gift. His office was searched and two more grenades of the same type were seized. Priority investigations are still ongoing.
DM51A2 grenade made in Germany
RBC-Ukraine reported that Mr Chastiakov received a gift from Colonel Andriy Timchenko. A source said the wooden gift box contained a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky and six grenades. Mr Timchenko kept two of the grenades for himself. According to the source, the colonel told Mr Chastiakov: "It's hard to surprise you, so I'll give you good grenades and a bottle of good whisky."
According to images shared by journalists, the grenades used in the incident appear to be modern German DM51A2 grenades.
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Minister Klymenko called on people not to spread unverified information and wait for the official conclusions of the investigators.
A source in the General Staff of the Ukrainian army for Ukrainska Pravda noted that Mr. Chastiakov graduated from the Military Academy in Odessa and knows how to handle grenades. He and his wife have four children.
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