You're reading: Large explosion goes off near office of Ukrainian Jewish Congress president (UPDATE)

An explosive device ignited at approximately 3:40 p.m. today on 14/1 Mechnykova Street near a car occupied by Vadym Rabynovych, owner of the Jewish News One channel, co-chairman of the Jewish European Parliament, and president of the Ukrainian Jewish Congress, news reports said.

Jewish News One producer Peter Dickinson told
the Kyiv Post that Rabynovych isn’t injured.

Kyiv’s police told the Kyiv Post a large
explosion took place near a Lexus 570 sports utility vehicle on Mechnykova Street earlier this
afternoon, but said that Rabynovych wasn’t injured. Rabynovych’s office
and his Jewish One News channel are located on 14/1 Mechnykova Street.

A police spokesperson said that an
investigation team and bomb squad personnel are on the scene.

Dickinson said he had heard “a large explosion
take place near the office and was told that a package had been thrown in the
direction of Rabynovych’s car.”

MIGnews.com.ua reported that the explosion
caused glass to break in several surrounding buildings and set off numerous car
alarms. Other news reports said that at 4:10 p.m. the stairwell leading to the
Klovska metro station located near the explosion site had been closed off.

On Jan. 18,
Rabynovych filed a claim with General Prosecutor Viktor Pshonka that alleged a
high-level government official had threatened him the day before with physical
violence if he didn’t hand over his Jewish News One channel within one week.

In his
claim, Rabynovych said he believed the official had approached him on his own
volition and wasn’t following orders from inside government.

JN1
started broadcasting in September 2011 and is available in 24 countries,
including Ukraine. It is available in the English, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian
and French languages.

In
February Rabynovych sold Arsenal Kyiv football club to Oleksandr Onyshchenko, a
lawmaker from the Party of Regions.

Kyiv
Post editor Mark Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected].