In brief
In Bucha, near Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities reported a bomb explosion labeled as a 'terrorist act.' Two police officers were injured in a follow-up blast. A 21-year-old suspect, allegedly recruited online, has been arrested and charged with terrorism, claiming he was blackmailed into carrying out the attack.
Two police officers have been injured in an explosion attributed to a 'terrorist act' in the town of Bucha, located near the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. The blast occurred in the early hours of Monday on a residential street, followed by a second explosion as police arrived at the scene.
The authorities arrested a 21-year-old local resident whom they accuse of having been recruited online to execute the explosions. A source revealed that the recruitment was reportedly linked to the online game World of Tanks.
The suspect allegedly expressed that he was motivated by financial gain, being promised 25,000 hryvnyas (about £450 or $570) for each explosion, as noted by Andriy Kravchuk, head of the Kyiv Region Criminal Investigations Directorate.
While the Ukrainian security service SBU labeled the individual as 'a Russian agent,' police have not confirmed these claims nor established a direct connection to Russia. Footage of the suspect indicates his assertion of being coerced into carrying out the act under threats towards his family.
The two injured police officers sustained limb injuries, but they are currently not deemed life-threatening. Eyewitness Viktoria Ivasyshyna described her shock at the loud explosion, clarifying initial beliefs of an accident turned out to be something far more sinister.
This incident reflects a troubling series of bombings in Ukraine, where previous months have seen other targeted explosions aimed at police, resulting in casualties.
