The Russian defence ministry has revealed that Ammunition was detonated at an airfield in Moscow-annexed Crimea on Tuesday however, there have been no confirmed victims.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the sudden blasts at the Saki airfield occurred on a day that happens to be the 167th day of Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine.
‘Several aviation munitions detonated’ near the settlement of Novofyodorovka, the defence ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
‘As a result of the explosion no one was hurt.’
The Russian defence ministry pointed out that it was looking to establish the reason for the explosions but indicated that the airfield was not targeted in an attack.
According to dramatic footage on social media, holidaymakers left the local beach in panic as large plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky. Cars rushed to leave Novofyodorovka, as ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
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Crimea borders the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson — now controlled by Moscow — and the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia — partially occupied by the Russian army — is also nearby.
In a video statement, Crimea head Sergei Aksyonov, speaking from the scene, said the affected area had been cordoned off.
‘All necessary measures have been tightened to ensure the safety of infrastructure facilities and the population,’ he said.
Recall that Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, is a popular tourist destination.
In a related development, Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed that Turkey has agreed to start paying for some of its Russian natural gas imports in rubles after a series of disagreements.
The announcement was initially made by Moscow last night after more than four hours of talks between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the United States is currently leading international efforts to impose economic sanctions on Russia in response to its February invasion of Ukraine.
However, a NATO member Turkey has tried to remain neutral in the conflict because of its heavy dependence on Russian energy.