DailyExpertNews
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Multiple explosions have been reported in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine and in annexed Crimea, including at a Russian military barracks.
The explosions in Melitopol came amid reports from officials on both sides that Ukraine had launched a missile attack on the city on Saturday.
Melitopol’s Moscow-installed administrators said four rockets hit the city, killing two and injuring 10, while Melitopol’s mayor reported several explosions, including at a church occupied by Russian troops.
Separately, reports also emerged of multiple explosions that hit Russian-annexed Crimea, including at a military barracks in Sovietske.
However, Ukrainian officials have not commented on the explosions in Crimea and DailyExpertNews is unable to verify the cause of the explosions or the extent of the damage.
Melitopol, in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia Oblast, has been occupied by Russia since early March.
Yevgeny Balitsky, the acting governor of Zaporizhia, said the missile attack on Melitopol “completely destroyed” a recreation center where “people, civilians and [military] the base staff were eating on Saturday night.”
The attacks were acknowledged by Ivan Fedorov, the former governor of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol, who said they targeted Russian military bases.
Federov said last month that Russia had turned Melitopol into “one giant military base.”
“The Russian army is settling in local houses they seized, schools and kindergartens. Military equipment is stationed in residential areas,” Federov said in November.
Melitopol mayor Ivan Fedorov said there had been several explosions, including in Melitopol’s Christian church, “which the occupiers seized and turned into their hiding place a few months ago”.
Fedorov, who is not in Melitopol, said there were deaths and injuries among Russian forces there.
The attack on Melitopol came amid images on social media and reports of several explosions in the Crimean city of Simferopol around 9 p.m. local time on Saturday.
There were also reports of explosions in Sevastopol, the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet; in a Russian military barracks inSovietske; and in Hvardiiske, Dzhankoi and Nyzhniohirskyi
The blasts come after Moscow ramped up its missile strikes against Ukraine last week, following Russian claims that Kiev was behind recent drone attacks on military airfields deep within its territory.
There are conflicting accounts of the explosions in Crimea.
The unofficial Crimean media portal “Krymskyi lace” said an explosion at a Russian military barracks inSovietske set the barracks on fire and there were deaths and injuries.
However, a pro-Russian broadcaster in Crimea claimed that the fire in the barracks was caused by “careless handling of fire”.
“Two people have died. Now all the soldiers, about two hundred people, are housed in another building,’ it says.
Sergey Aksenov, the Russian-appointed head of Crimea, said on Telegram: “The air defense system worked over Simferopol. All services are working as usual.
Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said the explosions were the result of target practice.
The news comes amid reports that 1.5 million people in Ukraine’s Odessa region are without power after attacks by Iranian-made drones.
“In total, Russian terrorists used 15 Shahed drones against Odessa,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his daily address on Saturday.
He said “Ukrainian air defenders” had shot down 10 of the 15 drones, but the damage was still “critical” and he suggested it will take a few days to restore electricity to the region.
“Only critical infrastructure is connected and as far as it is possible to provide electricity,” he said.
Ukraine has been facing a wide-ranging assault on its critical infrastructure and energy resources since early October. As a result, millions of people across the country are experiencing power cuts amid freezing winter temperatures.
“In general, both emergency and stabilization power outages continue in different regions,” Zelensky said. “The energy system is now, to say the least, far from a normal state.”
Odessa was already one of the hardest hit regions after Russia’s previous attacks on critical infrastructure.
“This is Russia’s true attitude towards Odessa, towards the people of Odessa – deliberate bullying, deliberate attempt to bring disaster to the city,” Zelensky added.
Ukraine received “a new aid package from Norway in the amount of $100 million” on Saturday that will be used “precisely for the recovery of our energy system after these Russian attacks,” Zelensky added.