A 39-year-old serviceman who had allegedly gone absent without leave (AWOL) threatened police officers with a grenade inside a residential building on Semena Palii Street in Odesa.
That is according to the Odesa region police, Ukrinform reports.
According to law enforcement officials, a local resident contacted the police to report that a neighbor had threatened to detonate a grenade in the entrance hall of an apartment building. By the time officers arrived, the man had locked himself inside his apartment.
"He behaved aggressively, used obscene language, ignored warnings and began threatening to kill police officers by detonating a grenade. The suspect is a serviceman who had gone absent without leave from his military unit," the police said.
After entering the apartment, officers discovered that the man was sitting on an air-conditioning unit outside the apartment, on the ninth floor. Following negotiations, he returned inside.
The police added that the man had been detained and the grenade seized and sent for examination. According to preliminary findings by explosives experts, it was an inert training grenade.
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The man has been formally notified of suspicion under Part 1 of Article 345 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which covers threats to kill a law enforcement officer in connection with the performance of official duties. The offense carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
The issue of a preventive measure for the suspect is currently being considered.
Photo credit: National Police of Ukraine