Two individuals have died as a result of explosions that occurred in Lviv on the night of February 22. The mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, reported on March 4 that a 30-year-old member of the National Guard of Ukraine, Yosyp Pavlynskiy, succumbed to injuries sustained during the incident.
According to Sadovyi, Pavlynskiy was on site assisting with crowd control and establishing a safe perimeter when a second explosion occurred. He hailed from the village of Bakivtsi in the Lviv region and is survived by his wife and young daughter.
Earlier reports indicated that a 23-year-old police officer, Viktoriya Shpylyka, was also killed in the blasts, while 25 others sustained injuries, including a 17-year-old boy who was returning home from the city center by taxi.
The explosions were triggered shortly after midnight when police responded to a report of a break-in at a store on Danylyshyna Street. The initial explosion occurred as a patrol unit arrived, followed by a second explosion when another unit appeared on the scene. Preliminary investigations suggest that homemade explosive devices were responsible for the blasts.
The Prosecutor’s Office has launched a criminal investigation under Article 258, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which pertains to terrorist acts causing severe consequences. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is leading the investigation in the Lviv region.
On the same day, authorities announced the arrest of a 33-year-old woman from the Rivne region, suspected of being involved in the incident. A court has since remanded her in custody without bail.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko stated that the attack in Lviv was likely orchestrated at the behest of Russia.
Additionally, the SBU and the National Police have implicated an 18-year-old woman from Kharkiv, who allegedly lured police officers to the explosion site. According to the regional prosecutor’s office, she has been placed under house arrest. Investigations revealed that she had called emergency services from Kharkiv, relaying a pre-prepared script about two unidentified individuals entering a grocery store in Lviv.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that, according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia intends to continue carrying out terrorist acts within Ukraine.
The recent explosions in Lviv have resulted in two fatalities, including a National Guard member and a police officer. Investigations are ongoing, with authorities linking the attacks to potential Russian involvement and detaining suspects.