Top Ukrainian military aide killed by ‘birthday bomb’ after present detonates also leaving his 13-year-old son ‘seriously injured’

• A top Ukrainian military aide was killed on his birthday by a gift 
• The gift, of six grenades, was given to him by a fellow soldier
• He was playing with it in his Kyiv home moments before the live weapon went off

A top aide to Ukraine’s military commander was killed on his birthday after one of his presents exploded inside his Kyiv home on Monday, ‘seriously injuring’ his 13-year-old son. 

Major Hennadiy Chastyakov was killed by a deadly explosion that ‘went off in one of [his] birthday gifts’, Valeriy Zaluzhnyy, the commander in chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said in a Telegram statement. 

Photos taken from the inside of Chastyakov’s home show several grenade-shaped objects lying alongside what appears to be a box for a bottle of alcohol, as well as a package from a Ukrainian clothing brand. 

The explosion was caused by a gift box of six grenades that was given to him by his colleagues, which he began showing off, according to a Telegram post from Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. 

He pulled out the ring of the grenade, which was live, at which point it detonated. 

Major Hennadiy Chastyakov (pictured) was killed by a deadly explosion that ‘went off in one of [his] birthday gifts’

Photos taken from the inside of Chastyakov’s home show several grenade-shaped objects lying alongside what appears to be a box for a bottle of alcohol

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Police, who are still investigating the incident, found five more live grenades in Chastyakov’s home. 

Ukrainian cops have since figured out which of Chastyakov’s fellow soldiers gave him the gift, and have since visited his home to take two more grenades from him. 

Chastyakov leaves behind his wife and four children. It is not currently known if anyone other than his 13-year-old son was hurt in the explosion. 

Zaluzhnyy, his boss, said of his passing: ‘Unspeakable pain and heavy loss for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and for me personally.

‘My deepest condolences to the family.’

While some moments in Russia’s invasion may not reflect well on Ukraine, others, including the moment its army destroyed one of Putin’s newly built warships in a daring missile strike, do. 

Footage shows the strike hit Butoma shipyard in Kerch, close to Putin’s major bridge linking the annexed peninsula to Russia

Russian and Ukrainian media reports say that Askold, Russia’s newest missile carrier (pictured), was hit in 4 November 2023 missile attack on Crimea

The downed vessel was named as the newly-built Askold missile ship, one of the most modern in Vladimir Putin’s navy.

Moscow admitted to losing a ship in an attack by 13 cruise missiles, but did not specify which one.

Footage shows the strike hit Butoma shipyard in Kerch, close to Putin’s major bridge linking the annexed peninsula to Russia.

Since launching its counteroffensive against Moscow’s forces this summer, Kyiv has ramped up attacks on the peninsula in a bid to suppress Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet.

According to state media, Russia’s defence ministry said: ‘On November 4, the Ukrainian army launched 15 cruise missiles at the B.E. Butoma (Zaliv) shipyard in the city of Kerch.

‘Air defence systems shot down 13 of the cruise missiles. As a result of being hit by an enemy cruise missile, a ship located at the plant was damaged.’

The ministry did not say how badly the ship was damaged or name which ship was attacked.

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