RTTue, 09 Aug 2022 14:35 UTC
© ScreenshotExplosions at Saki airfield
Russia's Defense Ministry has released an official statement on the explosions at the Saki military airfield on the Crimean Peninsula,
explaining that the incident was caused by the detonation of aviation munitions stored at the site. The blasts occurred near the city of Novofedorovka on Tuesday afternoon, with locals reporting hearing several explosions coming from the airfield and sharing videos online showing smoke coming from the area. According to eyewitnesses, the blasts had knocked out the windows in houses near the airfield.
Moscow has stated that no one has been injured in the explosion and that none of the aviation equipment at the airfield was damaged by the blasts.
"Measures are being taken to extinguish the fire and find out the causes of the explosion. According to a report from the site, there was no fire impact on the bunded ammunition storage area at the airfield," the Defense Ministry said. Local authorities have said that all necessary measures have been strengthened to ensure the safety of infrastructure facilities and of the population near the airfield.
Novofedorovka is located on the coast of Crimea about 40 kilometers northwest of the regional capital, Simferopol. The Saki air base is on the outskirts of the settlement and some personnel live in the town.
During Soviet times the airfield was a training center for pilots of aircraft carrier jets. The Russian navy has been using it to train pilots since Crimea rejoined Russia in 2014.
Comment: Officially the 'Incident' was an 'accident':
Images posted on social media showed clouds of smoke rising behind houses and the sound of multiple explosions can be heard in the video footage. Smoke from the scene rose high enough to be seen from nearby beaches.
The Head of the Republic of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov acknowledged an incident had taken place in Novofedorovka and said he would investigate the situation. Hospitals in the Saki region and the nearby resort city of Evpatoria despatched ambulances, RIA Novosti reported.
UPDATE: 9/8/2022: The tally so far: One fatality, nine injuries
One person has been killed in a series of explosions that rocked a Russian military airfield in Crimea on Tuesday afternoon, the region's governor has revealed. Nine more people have sustained minor injuries as a result of the incident, according to the local health ministry.
Officials in Moscow earlier put the blasts down to an accidental detonation of ammunition and denied they had been caused by an enemy attack.
Sergey Aksyonov, the head of Crimea, who is at the Saki airfield, posted a video on his Telegram channel, saying that "unfortunately, now official information is coming in, unfortunately, we have one fatality." The official pledged to issue updates on social media if and when more details are established.
Crimea's health ministry initially confirmed that five people injured in the incident, including a child, have been hospitalized, with their condition being described as non-life-threatening. That number was revised up to nine in a later update.
Aksyonov also urged everyone to only seek and accept official comments, such as those issued by Russia's defense ministry, regarding the cause of the blasts. The official went on to give assurances that the "number of ambulances [working at the scene] is sufficient," and describes the situation as "under control."
The Crimean governor also explained that householders in the immediate vicinity of the airfield will be relocated. On top of this, Aksyonov also promised that no local resident who has been affected by the blasts will be left "without help."
The first reports of several blasts in the village of Novofyodorovka, many accompanied by eyewitness footage, appeared on several Russian Telegram channels at around 3pm local time. The incident was later confirmed by Crimean authorities and eventually by the defense ministry in Moscow as well.
Commenting on the explosions in Crimea on Tuesday, Ukraine's defense ministry said that it has been unable to ascertain the cause of the fire that led to the incident. Officials in Kiev, however, did name a "violation of fire safety regulations" as the most likely reason behind the fire.
Comment: Officially the 'Incident' was an 'accident': UPDATE: 9/8/2022: The tally so far: One fatality, nine injuries