Russian soldiers patrol a street in occupied Melitopol on May 1, 2022. (Getty Images)
A loud explosion has been heard in the village of Zarichne near the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, exiled Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov reported on July 9.
The explosion allegedly happened in a hangar that has been turned into a Russian military base.
Melitopol, which had a pre-war population of about 150,000 people, was occupied shortly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
It serves as a railway hub for the Russian army in southern Ukraine to move military equipment.
Melitopol is also a part of the land bridge that connects Russia to the Crimean peninsula, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
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