A "powerful" explosion was heard in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on the morning of April 14, exiled Mayor Ivan Fedorov said on national television, cited by Ukrainska Pravda publication.
According to Fedorov, the explosion occurred in the area of the railway depot, where Russian troops have stored their equipment and ammunition.
Russian forces had also set up a repair base on the railway depo's territory, which "has already suffered from explosions but is not yet completely destroyed," said Fedorov, who is now in Ukrainian-controlled territory and reports based on sources in Melitopol.
A collaborator and top Moscow-installed proxy in Zaporizhzhia Oblast also reported an explosion in the city, saying it was "a gas cylinder that exploded in one of the garages."
Melitopol Mayor also said that the day before, gunfire and explosions had been heard near the Melitopol airfield.
On April 9, Fedorov said that 15 Russian formations in the region had been destroyed over the previous two weeks.
Explosions occur regularly in Melitopol and other Russian-occupied cities of Ukraine where partisan movement is active, targeting local collaborators or reportedly destroying Russian military equipment and personnel. Moscow usually blames Ukraine for such incidents, while Kyiv doesn't take responsibility for the explosions.
Melitopol, a city with a population of about 150,000 people, has been occupied since late February 2022. The city serves as a railway center for Russian forces in southern Ukraine and is part of the land bridge that links Russia to the occupied Crimean peninsula.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
