“Today, under tragic circumstances, my assistant and close friend, Major Hennadiy Chastyakov, died surrounded by his family, celebrating his Birthday,” said Zaluzhnyi.
“An unknown explosive device went off in one of the [birthday] presents.”
Chastyakov is survived by his wife and four children. The Commander-in-Chief expressed his condolences to the deceased's family.
“Since the onset of full-scale [Russian] invasion, Hennadiy has been a reliable support for me, dedicating his life to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the fight against Russian aggression,” Ukraine’s top military commander said.
Zaluzhnyi added that the cause and circumstances of Chastyakov’s death will be established in an investigation.
Earlier on Nov. 6, Ukrainska Pravda reported Chastyakov’s death, adding that his 13-year-old son was also badly injured. The major’s wife and daughter were in the house, but they were not harmed.