Unknown saboteurs blow up military base in eastern Ukraine : Military

A warehouse storing tank ammunition at a military base in eastern Ukraine has been blown up by unknown saboteurs.

According to the Ukrainian military, nobody was hurt in the incident which occurred early on Thursday.

The base, which contained about 138,000 tons of ammunition, is located in the city of Balakleya about 100 km (60 miles) from the frontline of Ukraine’s war against pro-Russia forces.

Rescue teams were evacuating nearby villages in the eastern Kharkiv region, the military said.

“According to preliminary data ... as a result of sabotage, last night at 2:46 AM (0046 GMT), fire and explosions caused the detonation of ammunition at several sites storing rockets and artillery weapons,” Ukraine’s chief military prosecutor Anatoly Matios wrote on Facebook.

Military spokesman Oleksander Motuzyanyk said security around other bases was being beefed up. Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman was due to fly to the area later on Thursday.

Saboteurs previously tried to destroy the same base using drones in 2015, another military spokesman, Yuzef Venskovich, told the 112 TV channel.

SS