An explosion occurred in the inner courtyard of the administrative building of Police Department No. 1 in Rivne, killing one person. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a statement by the Rivne Regional Police on Facebook. According to updated information from law enforcement, the incident occurred around 15:30, when members of the explosive ordnance disposal service were working on the premises of the inner courtyard of the station. All emergency services were promptly deployed to the scene, and law enforcement officers began establishing the circumstances and causes of the detonation.
Circumstances of the explosion
The police clarified that the explosion occurred while members of the explosive ordnance disposal service (UVTS) were carrying out their official duties. Preliminary information indicates that it was a detonation during work with explosive items. As a result, one specialist from the explosive ordnance disposal unit was killed, and three other police officers from the same unit were injured. Initially, the statement mentioned only “one killed and three injured law enforcement officers,” after which the department specified that all four belonged to the explosive ordnance disposal service.
Consequences and condition of the injured
The explosion damaged the administrative building: photos from the scene show shattered windows and destroyed window openings, and the perimeter is cordoned off with “National Police” tape. The three injured officers were handed over to medical personnel; the nature and severity of their injuries were not specified in public statements at the time of publication. Emergency services continued to work at the scene to ensure safety and inspect the area.
Investigation progress
Due to the explosion on the premises of the district police department building in Rivne, a criminal case has been opened under Article 264 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The investigation is being conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation. Law enforcement officers are establishing the exact circumstances and causes of the detonation, including how the explosive ordnance specialists were working at the moment of the explosion. The final classification and details of the case will be clarified as the investigation progresses.
Context: a series of explosion incidents
The incident in Rivne occurred against the backdrop of a number of other events related to explosions and demolitions. Earlier, law enforcement officers considered two main versions of the explosions of ammunition at a military training ground in Khmelnytskyi Oblast; this event was preliminarily classified under Part 2 of Article 414 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — violation of the rules for handling weapons and hazardous substances, resulting in bodily harm to several persons. In addition, in Odesa, three agents of Russian special services were detained who, on July 28, carried out two terrorist acts involving the detonation of vehicles: as a result, a civilian driver was killed, and a military serviceman and a female passenger were injured. In the center of Mykolaiv, SBU counterintelligence detained a Russian agent who was preparing an assassination attempt using a homemade bomb. The totality of these events underscores the heightened attention of law enforcement agencies to incidents involving explosives.
