Man dies after detonating explosive device at court in Ukrainian capital

A man who detonated an explosive device at a court in the Ukrainian capital died on Wednesday after barricading himself inside part of the building, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said, citing “preliminary information.”

Two members of a special rapid response security forces unit were hurt during attempts to bring the man under control at the Shevchenkivskyi court in the centre of the capital. Two loud noises were heard during the incident, Reuters reported.

Klymenko, briefing reporters at the scene, said the man had “presumably…died from the explosive device”.

Writing on the Telegram messaging app, he wrote: “According to preliminary information, he blew himself up.”

Klymenko identified the suspect as Ihor Humenyuk and said he had been attending a hearing as a suspect in connection with the deaths of four Ukrainian national guardsmen in 2015, read the report.

After the hearing, he said the man had first locked himself into a bathroom and tossed an explosive device at two guards.

Stopped from leaving the building by officers firing into the air, he barricaded himself into another room, Klymenko said. He refused to negotiate with officials and threw another device at the two officers who were injured, Reuters reported.

Klymenko said the man was killed in this altercation. An investigation was proceeding to determine how he had been in possession of explosives in the court.

Police had rushed to the scene after reports of the explosion just after 5 p.m. and ambulances were seen going in and out of the building.

Video footage showed at least one victim being carried out on a stretcher.

In his statements, the minister made no mention of any link with Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.