Local authorities have declared a local emergency after explosions at a Russian airbase in Crimea.

The neighboring bathing resort of Nowofedorivka is now to be evacuated and the gas supply to two towns is to be shut off.

Robert Putzbach

Editor in Politics

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On Tuesday, several powerful explosions occurred simultaneously on the base's premises.

According to the local administrator, one person was killed and nine other people, including two children, were injured.

Videos later released from the scene show charred vehicles and a burned-out bomber.

Ukraine's Air Force Staff announced on Wednesday that at least ten aircraft were destroyed in the blasts.

"Crimea is Ukrainian"

So far there have only been hints from the Ukrainian side, but no official confirmation of a possible attack.

So far, Ukraine had not shelled any targets in Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address: "Crimea is Ukrainian and we will never give it up."

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced shortly after the incident that the cause was fire safety violations.

Despite this announcement, Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of the Russian foreign broadcaster RT, wrote on Twitter that it was probably sabotage.

An update from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) states that the Russian leadership does not want to admit a Ukrainian attack with rockets or cruise missiles, as this would reveal the weakness of its own air defenses.

After the sinking of the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Moscow did not admit a Ukrainian attack and instead spoke of an accident.

According to Ukrainian sources, 13 civilians were killed in a Russian bombardment in the eastern Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk.

"It was a terrible night," local governor Valentin Resnichenko wrote on Wednesday on Telegram.

He urged residents to listen to sirens and seek shelter.

Twelve of the fatalities were counted in the village of Marhanets, which is on the other side of the Dnipro River across from the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia.

The Ukrainian side accuses Russia of carrying out attacks from behind the power plant because Ukraine cannot return fire at this point.

According to the Russian armed forces, they destroyed a German Gepard anti-aircraft tank in the Mykolaiv region.