Kyiv Bombing Suspect ‘Blew Himself Up’ at Own Court Date, Official Says
A man accused of setting off a bomb at a courthouse in Kyiv has died after blowing himself up in a secondary explosion at the scene, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
On Wednesday, authorities were dispatched to the Shevchenkivskyi District Court following reports that a bomb had gone off. The National Police confirmed the blast in a brief statement on Telegram, reporting that first responders had arrived to the scene with help from bomb disposal experts.
Details on the circumstances surrounding the explosion were scarce, but local media reported that a defendant charged in connection with a deadly grenade attack outside the country’s parliament in 2015 had detonated several grenades at the courthouse.
In a later statement, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed the identity of the suspect as Ihor Humenyuk, a former Ukrainian soldier accused of the parliament bombing. The 2015 blast killed four people and injured 130 others.
The Prosecutor General’s Office said it has received information about two members of law enforcement suffering injuries. According to local reports, two people were seen being carried out on stretchers after law enforcement stormed the building.
Interior Minister Klymenko released a statement saying the defendant at the courthouse detonated an “unidentified explosive device.” The local military administration said the explosion was believed to have happened in a bathroom at the courthouse.
According to the interior minister, Humenyuk barricaded himself in the bathroom in the aftermath of the first explosion. After officers responded to the scene, a second blast occurred, allegedly killing the suspect.
“The offender died at the scene,” Klymenko said. “According to preliminary information, he blew himself up.”
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