Explosion kills aide to Ukraine’s top general

KYIV, Ukraine

An aide to Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi was killed when a hand grenade hidden in one of his birthday gifts exploded, which also left his son seriously injured.

On social media, Zaluzhnyi said his assistant and close friend Maj. Hennadii Chastiakov tragically passed away while celebrating his birthday.

"Indescribable pain and a heavy loss for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and for me personally. Today, my assistant and close friend Major Hennadii Chastiakov died under tragic circumstances on his birthday among his relatives,” he said.

"Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion (by Russia), Hennadii has been a reliable friend for me who fully devoted his life to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the fight against Russian aggression."

The reasons and circumstances will be established during a pre-trial investigation, he added.

In a statement, the Ukrainian National Police said its teams arrived at the scene after receiving a report of an explosion in an apartment in the village of Chaiky in the Kyiv region.

According to initial findings, 39-year-old Chastiakov lost his life due to the explosion of a hand grenade and his 13-year-old son was seriously wounded.