In recent days, several regions in Ukraine have reported incidents involving Russian-made Shahed drones that exploded after crashing. These explosions have resulted in the deaths of five individuals who approached the crash sites, prompting officials to issue warnings against such actions.
Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov, an advisor to the Minister of Defense, highlighted the dangers associated with these drones in a Facebook post on April 1. He noted that the surviving drones have detonated after some time, leading to fatalities in various areas of the country, including four deaths in the Cherkasy region.
“Currently, we do not know the reasons for what is happening,” Beskrestnov stated.
Beskrestnov urged the public to maintain distance from the wreckage of the Shahed drones, regardless of whether an explosion had occurred at the time of the crash. He also called on police and rescue services to take this information into account.
On April 1, a drone attack in the Zolotonosha district of Cherkasy resulted in the deaths of four individuals. According to Ihor Taburets, the head of the regional military administration, the victims, aged 28, 30, 53, and 60, were killed by an explosion from a Shahed drone that had fallen in an open area near a village.
A local resident, Vasyl Cherin, recounted that a colleague had stopped to examine the downed drone in a field. After Cherin and another friend moved away, the colleague approached the wreckage, leading to the explosion. One of the deceased was 53-year-old volunteer Ivan Stepanuk, known for evacuating the wounded and repairing equipment under fire.
Julia Norovkova, spokesperson for the State Emergency Service in Cherkasy, reiterated the importance of safety, stating, “If you see a suspicious or explosive object, do not approach it, do not touch it, and call 101 or 102.”
The Cherkasy regional prosecutor’s office has initiated a preliminary investigation under Article 438 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to war crimes, as confirmed by prosecutor’s spokesperson Iryna Holovna.
Recent explosions from downed Russian Shahed drones in Ukraine have resulted in five fatalities, prompting officials to warn the public about the dangers of approaching wreckage. Investigations into these incidents are underway as safety concerns escalate.