Five missing after uncontrolled detonation at Khmelnytskyi military depot, sabotage suspected
Five soldiers remain missing in Khmelnytskyi (Photo: Khmelnytskyi LIVE/Telegram)
State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is examining two main theories of the uncontrolled ammo detonation at a military site in Khmelnytskyi — improper handling or sabotage — with five soldiers still missing, officials reported on Aug. 4.
Investigation showed that the uncontrolled detonation at the military facility on the outskirts of Khmelnytskyi occurred on July 31 at around 11:55 a.m. and continued until nearly the end of the day. Preliminary findings indicate that the missing soldiers were unloading ammunition at a unit warehouse. As a result of the blasts, eight other servicemen sustained injuries of varying severity, though none are life-threatening.
No civilian casualties were reported.
One theory under investigation involves potential safety protocol violations during the transport or unloading of ammunition, which may have triggered the initial blast and subsequent chain detonation. Concurrently, SBI is probing potential acts of sabotage aimed at destroying weapons stocks.
During search operations, law enforcement officers recovered human body fragments. These were submitted for forensic medical and molecular-genetic DNA testing to establish the identity of the deceased.
Law enforcement personnel have already interviewed military unit command staff, soldiers, and victims, while seizing documentation related to the storage, transportation, and unloading of ammunition. Meanwhile, State Emergency Service (SES) specialists continue clearance operations for explosive hazards outside the military facility's perimeter. A specialized commission is slated to be formed to execute further clearance operations directly on the site.
Preliminary legal classification of the case is under Part 2 of Article 414 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the rules of handling weapons, as well as substances and objects representing an increased hazard to surrounding environment, causing bodily injuries to multiple persons). The pre-trial investigation remains ongoing.
On July 31, multiple explosions were heard in Khmelnytskyi despite no active air raid alerts in the region. Subsequently, the Special Operations Forces (SSO) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported an "emergency event" at a military unit facility in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, which caused an initial explosion and subsequent secondary detonations.
The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and SBI confirmed that criminal proceedings were launched regarding the detonation.
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