1 killed, 2 injured after explosion rocks court in Ukrainian capital

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - A man blew himself up by detonating an explosive device at a district court in Ukraine’s capital on Wednesday, injuring two other people.

“An extraordinary event took place at the Shevchenkivskyi (District) Court of Kyiv. Police received a report about an explosion,” Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram.

Klymenko said that investigative and operational groups from the National Police as well as members of the special forces and other services arrived at the scene of the blast.

He said the blast occurred after an unidentified device was detonated by a man who was taken to a court hearing.

In a statement later to the press, Klymenko said Ihor Humeniuk, the person suspected to be behind the blast, locked himself in the court restroom and then opened the door and threw explosives at Rapid Operational Response Unit (KORD) personnel standing outside.

“Two KORD employees were injured. Their lives are not currently in danger,” he said, noting that Humeniuk died from the explosion.

Klymenko said police are investigating how Humeniuk managed to smuggle in the explosives.