Two executives of a defense contractor have been detained in connection with the tragedy in Vyshneve
Law enforcement officials have detained the CEO of a defense contractor and his deputy in connection with the tragedy in Vyshneve, where a massive explosion of ammunition occurred following a Russian strike. The investigation established that the ammunition had been stored for a long time in violation of safety requirements.
According to the investigation, a significant amount of ammunition was stored in facilities that did not meet safety requirements, without the necessary permits, and in a building not intended for the long-term storage of this type of weaponry. In addition, the depot was located only about 24 meters from other buildings and less than 18 meters from a private home, even though the law prohibits the placement of such facilities near residential areas.
The prosecutor’s office notes that after the Russian missile struck, a large-scale secondary detonation of the munitions began, lasting several hours. As a result, seven people were killed, another 29 were injured, more than 600 residents were evacuated, and approximately 13 hectares of residential areas were destroyed.
“The officials responsible for these decisions could not have been unaware of the risks,” said Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.
The company’s CEO and his deputy were detained pursuant to Article 615 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. Both were dismissed from their positions and notified of their status as suspects under Parts 2 and 3 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (official negligence resulting in serious consequences and loss of life). Investigators are seeking to impose a preventive measure in the form of pretrial detention without the right to bail.
According to Kravchenko, these are only the first procedural decisions in the criminal proceedings.
Currently, the investigation is determining who made the decision to store the ammunition in this area, who was responsible for its safe storage and for ensuring compliance with safety requirements, and why the identified violations were not rectified for such a long time.
Separately, law enforcement officials are investigating the possibility of Russian intelligence influence and a leak of information regarding the ammunition’s storage location to the aggressor state.
This was reported on July 16 by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko and the Security Service of Ukraine.
As a reminder, “Ukroboronprom” made personnel decisions following the explosions at the ammunition depot in Vyshneve near Kyiv. The heads of two state-owned enterprises were dismissed for violating legislation and regulations on the safe storage of ammunition.
In Vyshneve, Kyiv Oblast, 253 private residential buildings were damaged as a result of the Russian attack. Nine people were killed in the strike. As of the evening of July 7, 18 victims were in medical facilities, where they are receiving the necessary care.
During the Russian attack on Vyshneve on the night of July 6, a dog named Yosya was locked inside a house that caught fire. His owners were certain he had perished, but the animal managed to escape the flames.
