Hit By Mine Explosion, Russian-Appointed Mayor Of Ukraine And His Bodyguard Rushed To Hospital

Illustration of the impact of the Russian attack on Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons/dsns.gov.ua/State Emergency Service of Ukraine)

JAKARTA - The head of the Russian-designated territory of the occupied Ukrainian city next to Europe's largest nuclear power plant, was injured in an explosion on Sunday, a Ukrainian official and Russian news agencies said.

Andrei Shevchik, who was appointed mayor of Enerhodar by Russia after the occupation of the city, is in intensive care following the explosion, Russia's RIA news agency said, citing a source in the emergency services.

"We have accurate confirmation that during the explosion, the self-proclaimed head of the 'people's government' Shevchik and his bodyguard were injured," Dmytro Orlov, who Ukraine still recognizes as the city's legal mayor, said in a post on the Telegram app as quoted by Reuters May 23.

Orlov wrote in Telegram late on Sunday that Shevchik had been taken to the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol to recover from his injuries. In the meantime, he will be replaced as a city leader.

Reuters could not immediately establish what caused the explosion.

While citing TASS, Shevchik is reportedly receiving treatment in Melitopol. He said he only suffered minor injuries and his life was not in danger.

"The mayor of Ebergodar suffered minor injuries. He is being treated at a hospital in Melitopol. His life is not in danger," said a local law enforcement source.

It said Shevchik and two of his bodyguards were injured in an explosion on the driveway to his residence. Local authorities said he had received repeated threats.

"A homemade explosive device was planted in the electrical wiring box at the driveway," the source said of the possible origin of the explosion.

It is known, Enerhodar had a pre-war population of over 50,000. Many residents work at the two power plants located next to the city, one of which is the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest nuclear power plant.