Ukrainian politician detonates grenades in municipal building

At least 26 people were injured when a local politician set off several grenades in a government building in a village in western Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region, the National Police of Ukraine reported on Friday.

Six of the 26 injured in the attack in the village of Keretsky are reportedly in a serious condition. The politician who set off the grenades was initially said to have died in the explosion, but police subsequently reported that doctors were attempting to save his life. Police, explosives and forensics experts are all on the scene.

Local media have named the perpetrator as Serhiy Batrin, a deputy from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party. 

Video footage of the incident shows a man entering an office where people are engaged in debate, and asking, “Can I say something?” before removing the grenades from his pockets and throwing them on the floor. They detonated a few seconds later. 

No motive for the attack has been indicated.