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One killed as blasts rock Russian air base

LONDON — One person was killed on Tuesday when a Russian air base near seaside resorts in the annexed Crimean peninsula was rocked by a series of blasts that Moscow said were detonations of stored ammunition, not the result of any attack.

Local witnesses said they had heard at least 12 explosions around 3:20 p.m. local time from the Saky air base near Novofedorivka on the west coast of the peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 and used in February as one of the launchpads for its invasion of Ukraine.

Crimea, a holiday destination for many Russians, has so far been spared the intense bombardment and artillery combat that other areas of eastern and southern Ukraine have suffered since Russian forces entered the country.

Russia’s defence ministry was adamant that the “detonation of several aviation ammunition stores” had caused an explosion, and said initially that no one had been harmed. It said there had been no attack and no aviation equipment had been damaged.

Russia’s main news agencies quoted an unnamed ministry source as saying that “only a violation of fire safety requirements is considered as the main reason for the explosion of several ammunition stores at the Saky airfield.”

“There are no signs, evidence or, even less, facts (to indicate) a deliberate impact on ammunition stores,” the source was quoted as saying.

Crimea’s health department said one civilian had been killed. It said another person had been admitted to hospital with moderate injuries and five had been treated for minor wounds.

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2022-08-10T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-10T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://saltwire.pressreader.com/article/281638193978865

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