A tragic incident occurred on July 2 near the Kyiv-Chop highway, where explosions with a power exceeding four tons in TNT equivalent resulted from the illegal production of explosives by five accomplices.
This was reported by the National Police and the Office of the Prosecutor General.
In the evening of July 2, two explosions took place in the village of Berezyna in the Zhytomyr region. As a result, two people died, and another 83 were injured to varying degrees. Buildings and vehicles were also damaged, with total losses exceeding 46 million hryvnias.
Investigators found that in the summer of 2024, a 60-year-old resident of Sumy region and four accomplices organized illegal manufacturing of explosive mixtures for profit.
To achieve this, the entrepreneur set up facilities for the production in the former manager's premises in Berezyna. His business partner, a 31-year-old resident of Kyiv, ensured the connection of the premises to necessary utilities and managed the supply of chemical components.
Their accomplice, a 50-year-old man with a chemistry education, developed the formula for the explosive substance and supervised the production process. He managed employees: a 37-year-old from Sumy region and a 41-year-old from Kyiv region, who lived on-site and manufactured explosives, received delivered chemicals, and performed other tasks.
The finished products were stored in unsuitable conditions, violating Ukrainian legislation, without any permits, licenses, or certifications, and in close proximity to residential buildings.
Due to the accomplices' violations of safety rules and regulations during the manufacturing and storage of explosives, a fire broke out around 18:00 on July 2, leading to detonation and subsequent explosions with a power of more than four tons in TNT equivalent.
As a result, two local residents aged 16 and 26 died. Another 83 people sustained injuries of varying severity. The damage caused to buildings, vehicles, and air pollution amounted to over 46 million hryvnias.
On July 7, under the procedural guidance of the Zhytomyr regional prosecutor's office, three individuals were charged with violating safety rules regarding explosive materials: two enterprise directors and one of their employees.
