A car explosion in Dnipro, the regional capital of nearly 1 million people located 480 kilometers southeast of Kyiv, killed two people. The victims were a first aid instructor and a regional spokesperson of Ukraine’s state emergency service (DSNS), police said on Sept. 15.
Law enforcement officials believe the blast was an act of terrorism.
“Daria was a Red Cross volunteer, she assisted everyone who needed help…We still can’t believe that the bright, cheerful, active, professional Dasha is no longer with us,” Dnipro’s DSNS office wrote on Facebook about Daria Grechischeva, one of the victims.
The other victim, Oleksiy Kavlak, was a first aid instructor who taught civilians, Ukrainian army soldiers and volunteers. Kavlak was also a member of the NGO “Ukrainian Legion,” which helps organize people in case of a direct threat to Kyiv and the founder of Aid Brothers, a non-profit that provides first aid safety training.
Kavlak also trained children in landmine safety in Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts and coordinated patriotic education programs.
Victims of a car explosion that happened in Dnipro on Sept 15., spokesperson of Ukraine’s state emergency service in Dnipro oblast Daria Grechischeva and first aid and mine safety instructor Oleksiy Kavlak. (Courtesy)
Aid Brothers representative Valentina Afanasieva told news outlet Hromadske that Grechischeva and Kavlak were romantically involved.
She said she doesn’t believe Kavlak could have been negligent enough to keep explosives in his car.
“In principle, he could not have been carrying an explosive. This is a gross violation of safety rules. Especially when there is a loved one nearby… The trainings show how to put on a tourniquet, explain what the devices look like, but Oleksiy never used explosives,” Afanasieva told Hromadske.
