2,000 People Evacuated Due To Military Base Fire In Crimea

Illustration of Russian military facilities in Crimea. (Wikimedia Commons/Vyacheslav Argenberg)

JAKARTA - The fire that broke out at a military training ground in Kirovske District, the Crimean Peninsula, forced the evacuation of more than 2,000 people and the closure of nearby highways, the Russian-backed Crimean Governor said on Wednesday.

Videos and photos on social media showed large flames and smoke in uninhabited areas, caused by a series of explosions. Several Telegram channels said at 07.30 local time (04.30 GMT), the fire had been going on for about three hours and could not be resolved.

"It is planned to temporarily evacuate residents in four settlements, more than 2,000 people," said Russia-backed Crimean Governor Sergei Aksyonov, via the Telegram app.

No reason was given regarding the fire, which also forced the closure of parts of Jalan Raya Tavridy.

There was a major Ukrainian missile strike against a Russian weapons depot in Staryi Krym in occupied Crimea this morning.pic.twitter.com/iqexLVSLKp

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) July 19, 2023

There was a major Ukrainian miss strike against a Russian weapons depot in Staryi Krym in occupied Crimea this morning.pic.twitter.com/iqexLVSLKp

Meanwhile, a Russian Telegram channel connected to Russia's Security Service and Ukrainian media reported a ammunition depot on fire at the base following last night's airstrikes by Ukraine.

Separately, there was no immediate comment from Ukraine regarding the incident.

Meanwhile, Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odesa military government in Ukraine, posted two videos of a fire in an uninhabited area, saying, "enemy ammunition depot at Staryi Krym."

Staryi Krym is a historic small town in Kirovske District, Crimea. Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

The fire broke out two days after an explosion damaged a bridge connecting Russia and the Crimean Peninsula on Monday. Moscow accused Ukraine of being behind the attack, with President Vladimir Putin vowing to retaliate.

Earlier, Russia launched airstrikes on the port of Odesa, Ukraine, for the second night in a row. The Ukrainian military also said a drone strike in Kyiv was successfully blocked on Wednesday.