In the Odesa region, police apprehended a resident of the Podilsk district for hooliganism and illegal handling of hazardous items — a man with a knife and grenade was harassing youth.

The offender was charged under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. He faces up to seven years in prison.

The incident occurred a few days ago in one of the villages of the Oknyansk community. Police determined that a 53-year-old man, while intoxicated, began to verbally assault a group of young people near a shop and pushed a girl. One of the boys confronted the troublemaker, who then slashed the tires of his nearby car with a knife. Following this, the car owner reported to the police.

Upon arrival, the patrol police found the offender holding a grenade without a safety pin and threatening to detonate it. Thanks to the police efforts, the perpetrator was disarmed and detained. No one was harmed. 

The investigative team and explosives specialists retrieved a hand grenade and knife from the scene. During an urgent search of the suspect's residence, police discovered 60 rounds of 5.45 mm ammunition. According to preliminary conclusions by the explosives experts, the grenade and ammunition are hazardous. They have been sent for forensic examination.

The man claimed that he had allegedly purchased them in another region.

“We detained the offender, who has an unexpunged conviction for murder, in accordance with procedural law. With sufficient evidence, he has been charged with hooliganism characterized by particular audacity, committed using an item specifically adapted for causing bodily harm, as well as the acquisition, carrying, and storage of explosives and military supplies without the required legal permission. These crimes are classified under part 4 of article 296 and part 1 of article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The maximum punishment for these offenses is up to seven years in prison. The court has chosen a preventive measure in the form of detention with the right to bail set at 240,000 UAH,” - reported Oleg Zhukovsky, head of the Podilsk district police department.

As part of the ongoing pre-trial investigation, supervised by the Podilsk district prosecutor's office, a series of expert examinations have been appointed to establish the channel through which the dangerous items reached the man.

It is emphasized: according to part 3 of article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, an individual who voluntarily surrenders illegal firearms, ammunition, explosives, or explosive devices to the authorities shall not be subject to criminal liability.

We also remind that a campaign for weapon declaration is ongoing in Ukraine. Citizens who illegally possess or have found firearms and their components and ammunition must declare them, thus exempting themselves from criminal liability.