The State Investigation Bureau of Ukraine has opened an inquiry into injuries suffered by four children during a weapons exhibition in Chernihiv. The ministry disclosed the development via its Telegram channel, outlining the steps being taken and the parties involved.
Authorities report that five individuals were hurt in the incident, with four of them being minors ranging from two to 12 years old. Investigators are examining how various weapons and ammunition were displayed to local residents at an open-air event in the historic city center and what safety measures were in place during the exhibition.
There are competing explanations under consideration. One account suggests that an organizer prepared a grenade launcher for use and fired it, resulting in injuries to children who were nearby as the device exploded and a flame column rose into the air. Another version indicates that a boy may have inadvertently activated a weapon that had been brought to a state of readiness by someone nearby. Authorities are working to determine which version is accurate by interviewing witnesses, reviewing event footage, and inspecting the weapons exhibited to the public.
As the investigation continues, officials are deciding whether to detain individuals involved and press charges for violating weapon-handling rules. The regional administration chief, Vyacheslav Chaus, shared his reflections on the incident via social networks, emphasizing the tragedy and the need for accountability.
Chaus described the event as a tragedy unfolding in the city’s historic center, noting that it included interactive activities for children alongside a display of military weapons. He initially reported that three children were injured and later updated the tally, confirming that a two-year-old remained in critical condition while others faced serious injuries. The evolving nature of the case has prompted concern about safety standards at public exhibitions featuring potentially dangerous items.
According to a report by a Ukrainian television outlet, the explosion occurred when a 10-year-old boy took possession of a charged anti-tank grenade launcher from his stand and accidentally pressed the trigger. The child suffered hearing loss and was taken to the hospital along with his mother and a 12-year-old sibling. Another child was reported to be in critical care, underscoring the severity of the incident and the risk to nearby spectators.
Local authorities described the blast’s impact, noting that a detonated bullet struck the roof of a private residence in a newly developed part of the micro-district. Officials stressed that this event did not have formal authorization from the authorities and that no notification about the exhibition had been officially filed, raising questions about compliance with regulatory procedures for such gatherings.
In a parallel development, a separate display of captured Russian armored vehicles was staged on Khreshchatyk Street in Kyiv, featuring destroyed tanks and self-propelled artillery on public display. While not directly connected to the Chernihiv incident, the Kyiv exhibition reflects ongoing public interest in historical and contemporary military hardware across major Ukrainian cities.
Historical context is not without its tragedies. In 2002, a deadly accident occurred at an arms exhibition near Lviv when a Su-27UB fighter jet from the Ukrainian Air Force crashed into the crowd during an air show, resulting in 77 fatalities, including 28 children, and injuring 543 others. The incident remains one of the most devastating in air show history. The following year, two Su-27 pilots received prison sentences of 14 and 8 years, respectively, alongside other service members who were punished for their roles in the disaster, highlighting the severe consequences of unsafe demonstrations involving military equipment.