A moment of horror unfolded at the railway station in Ovruch, a city in northern Ukraine, when a young man detonated explosives during a security check, killing himself and three others.
The fatalities include the attacker, a female guard, and two other women who were present at the scene.
According to Ukraine’s Border Guard Service, the devastating incident occurred when officers stopped the 23-year-old man for a search. During the interaction, he activated a grenade or another explosive device that was reportedly strapped to his body.
The blast caused immediate chaos. The attacker, a resident of Kharkiv, was severely wounded and died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Twelve other individuals were injured in the explosion, with seven reported to be in critical condition in intensive care.
The motives for the attack are not yet known. However, reports suggest the attacker had recently been detained while attempting to cross the border into Belarus. It is suspected he was trying to flee the country to evade mandatory military conscription.
Ukrainian authorities have established an inquiry committee to investigate the incident. They have clarified that, at present, there is no established direct link between this explosion and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Ukraine has been under martial law since February 2022. Under this law, men aged 22 to 60 are prohibited from leaving the country and can be drafted for military service.
