Authorities have announced a state of emergency as a huge cloud of smoke has risen over the Kirzhach district
Massive explosions have been reported on Tuesday near the town of Kirzhach in Russia’s Vladimir Region, some 75 km northeast of Moscow. The blasts are said to have taken place at a munitions depot. Local authorities have announced a state of emergency in the district and blocked the roads leading to the area.
Аt around 3:30 pm, residents of nearby villages reported a series of powerful explosions and began posting videos of a huge cloud of smoke rising towards the sky which could be seen from over a dozen kilometers away.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has since confirmed that a fire had broken out on the territory of a military unit in the region, which caused the detonation of ammunition. In 2022 several Russian servicemen were killed in an accidental detonation at a military facility in the same region near the village of Barsovo
Vladimir Region governor Alexander Avdeev also confirmed the blast on his official Telegram channel and announced that “the relevant services are working at the scene.”
READ MORE: Russian artillery depot blast kills four
Russian news outlets have reported that emergency services have begun the evacuation of residents from Barsovo and the village of Mirny, which are located near the epicenter of the explosion.
A temporary accommodation center which has been established in a local school has already received about 100 people, including children and elderly citizens, a representative of the facility has told TASS.
Meanwhile, Russian military authorities have established a special commission to investigate the cause of the explosion and bring any culpable officials to justice. The commission will be headed by Deputy Defense Minister Andrey Bulyga.
April 22, 2025 at 08:46PM
RT