YEKATERINBURG, October 1 (Itar-Tass) —— The criminal case was opened over the death of officer Stanislav Vershinin at the Totsk firing range in the Orenburg Region. The criminal case is being investigated under an article of the Criminal Code for violations of the rules to handle weapons and objects of high danger for other people, the press service of the military investigation department of the Russian Investigation Committee in the Central Military District told Itar-Tass on Monday.
“The detectives should find out who violated the rules for scrapping ammunition,” the press service reported.
Meanwhile, the Command of the Central Military District is considering the posthumous awarding of Vershinin.
On September 26, when checking the electric explosive chain for the disposal of outdated ammunition at the Totsk firing range (180 kilometres northwest of Orenburg) it failed. Commander of the ammunition blast group of sappers Stanislav Vershinin took the whole military staff staying nearby in the shelter, disconnected the fuses, waited for required 20 minutes and putting on the armour vest went to the ammunition disposal site. The ammunition blast went off, when he was approaching the blast site.
“This is not the first case, when the officer dies in the peacetimes, saving the lives of servicemen,” the press service reported. “During a fire drill at the firing range in the Amur Region Hero of Russia Sergei Solnechnikov covered a grenade with his body to save the life of his subordinates. The violations that caused the tragedy were found in the investigation. On the contrary, all safety rules were observed at the Totsk firing range,” the press service said.
“The perished officer fulfilled all office instructions. He evacuated people from the zone of a possible blast and put on the armour vest. Stanislav Vershinin also saved the human lives and therefore deserves to be awarded posthumously with the medal for the feat committed during the combat actions in the peacetimes,” the press service reported.