Police have established the cause of powerful explosions near Zhytomyr

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The pre-trial investigation found that in the summer of 2024, a 60-year-old resident of Sumy region, together with four accomplices, established illegal production of a mixture of explosive and explosive devices, aiming at profit.

For this purpose, the entrepreneur organized the purchase and arrangement for such production of the premises of the former cowshed, weighing and warehouse in the village of Berezina in Zhytomyr region. His business partner, a 31-year-old resident of Kiev, provided the premises to the necessary communications and their operation, set up the supply of the necessary chemical components, functioning of production and storage of explosives.

Their accomplice, a 50-year-old resident of Sumy region, who has a chemist education, has developed a recipe for the manufacture of explosive. He also controlled the production process and managed employees: a 37-year-old resident of Sumy region and a 41-year-old resident of Kyiv region. Both workers resided permanently on the territory of the enterprise and made explosives, received the delivered chemical components, performed other works.

The finished products were stored in unaddressed premises, in violation of the legislation of Ukraine, without any permits, licenses, certificates or other permits, in the immediate vicinity of the residential buildings of the settlement.

Due to the violation of the rules and norms in the manufacture and storage of explosives, on July 2, at about 18:00, the premises were burned, which led to detonation and further explosions with a capacity of more than four tons in TNT equivalent.

As a result, two locals died 16 and 26. Another 83 people get injuries of varying severity. Due to damage to buildings, vehicles and air pollution, the amount of losses is over UAH 46 million.

Photo of SES