This footage shows massive explosions as a Russian ammunition depot was destroyed in Crimea the morning of August 16, with Russia blaming the incident on “sabotage”.
The footage was obtained from a number of sources including the Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukraine’s Chernihiv Regional Territorial Center Of Recruitment And Social Support, as well as from Oleksiy Goncharenko, 41, a Ukrainian Member of Parliament.
The incident has also been confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) who said that a fire caused the blasts in the Dzhankoi area, before later saying that the incident was the result of “sabotage”.
The footage shows the ammunition depot exploding near the village of Azovske in the Dzhankoi Raion, in north-eastern Crimea. Crimea is part of Ukraine but was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
A fire also reportedly broke out at a transformer station in the town of Dzhankoi, also in the Dzhankoi Raion.
Andrii Yermak, 50, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said that “operation ‘demilitarization'” in the “style of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue until the complete de-occupation of Ukrainian territories. Our soldiers are the best sponsors of a good mood. Crimea is Ukraine.”
Ukrainian MP Goncharenko shared the images and said: “Explosions in the village of Azovske, near Dzhankoi in Crimea! A warehouse with ammunition is on fire. Crimea returns to its home port.”
StratCom said: “According to preliminary information, there was an explosion in the village of Travneve in the Dzhankoi district of the temporarily occupied Crimea around 6:15 a.m., and now a Russian ammunition depot is detonating. They also reported a fire at the substation. Evacuation of the population began due to the detonation of ammunition after the explosion.”
StartCom later said that “the Russian occupiers had significantly strengthened air defense in the Dzhankoi area recently. But, the result is available… According to preliminary data, at least eight S-400 air defense systems, three S-300 air defense systems, and five Pantsir-S1 air defense systems had been deployed in the area of ​​the airfield near Dzhankoi.
“In addition, 440 TPK (transport-launch containers) were concentrated at the airfield. By the way, these TPKs were concentrated there in such a quantity not so much to protect the airspace as to be sent to the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, for the shelling of Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia.”
StratCom added: “And that’s not all. In the area of ​​the ‘Azovske’ railway station, 17 armored fighting vehicles, 10 ‘Gvozdika’ self-propelled guns, seven ‘Msta-S’ self-propelled guns, two ‘Pion’ self-propelled guns, 3 units BM-21 ‘Grad’, as well as ammunition, were unloaded.”
The Russian MoD said: “The detonation occurred at a site for temporary storage of ammunition near the village of Mayskoye, Dzhankoi district, on Tuesday morning. The Ministry of Defense reported that as a result of a fire on the territory of a bunded site of one of the military units, supplies detonated. According to preliminary information, two people were injured, one of them was hospitalized.”
The Russian MoD also said: “After the emergency, a five-kilometer [3-mile] zone was cordoned off, residents of the villages of Azovske and Maiskoye, Dzhankoi district, were temporarily placed in schools in the villages of Kondratyevo, Tabachnoye, and Pobednoe. Emergency services and police are on the scene.”
This was also relayed by Russian state media, including RIA Novosti.
The Russian MoD later blamed the explosion at the “military storage facility” on “sabotage”.
Zenger News contacted the StratCom of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for further comment, as well as the Russian Ministry of Defense, but had not received a reply at the time of writing.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation.” Tuesday marks the 174th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and August 16, Russia had lost about 43,900 personnel, 1,880 tanks, 4,152 armored combat vehicles, 989 artillery units, 263 multiple launch rocket systems, 136 air defense systems, 233 warplanes, 196 helicopters, 790 drones, 190 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 3,049 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 92 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower, but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures. The Pentagon said last week that Russia had suffered between 70,000 and 80,000 casualties – deaths and injuries – since the beginning of its invasion.
Both Ukraine and Russia have reported further shelling near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — Europe’s largest — on Monday, August 15. Both sides have blamed each other. A Russian-installed regional official claimed that U.S.-made M777 howitzer heavy artillery strikes had hit near the nuclear power plant but Ukraine said Russian forces had shelled the area to make it look like Ukraine was attacking it.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged world leaders not to “lose to terrorism” or to “give in to nuclear blackmail.”
He added: “If now the world does not show strength and decisiveness to defend one nuclear power station, it will mean that the world has lost.” He also said: “If Russia’s actions cause a catastrophe, the consequences may also hit those who remain silent so far.”
Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed the plant’s security situation by telephone on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.
Ukrainian artillery has reportedly hit Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group of mercenaries’ headquarters in eastern Ukraine. Luhansk Governor Serhiy Haidai has said that the location of the Russian mercenary group’s headquarters was revealed by a Russian journalist, pro-Kremlin Sergei Sreda, who shared a photograph on Telegram of the base apparently showing its address.
Five men, including three from the U.K., one from Sweden and one from Croatia have denied being mercenaries fighting with Ukrainian forces against Russia, in a Russian proxy court. Britons John Harding, Dylan Healy, and Andrew Hill, Swedish citizen Mathias Gustafsson and Croatian Vjekoslav Prebeg appeared before a court – which is not internationally recognized – in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic. Harding, Gustafsson and Prebeg could face death sentences, Russian media have claimed.
The British military is training 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers to handle weapons, to carry out first aid on the battlefield and to conduct urban warfare, with the goal of turning fresh recruits into combat-ready soldiers for the front in weeks. New Zealand, the Netherlands, Canada, Finland and Sweden have also sent military trainers to Britain.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed in a speech at an arms show that Russian weapons are years ahead of its rivals and that the country is prepared to provide its allies with advanced weaponry and work together to develop military technology. One of these weapons systems includes a dog-like robot that carries a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.
Putin said that his country believes strongly in its ties to countries in South America, Asia, and Africa and “and is ready to offer our partners and allies the most modern types of weapons, from small arms to armored vehicles and artillery, combat aircraft and drones.”
Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have both said since the beginning of the invasion that Russia desired to work with China, India and Iran, among other countries, to form a new international order that is no longer dominated by the United States.
