Russian official, 2 guards injured in blast in Ukraine

150
1
Russian official, 2 guards injured in blast in Ukraine

The blast shook an apartment block in Energodar, wounding the official and two of his guards.

The mayor of the Russian-held city of Energodar, southeast Ukraine, and two of his security guards, were injured in an explosion on Sunday, local law enforcement said.

The mother of the mayor Andrey Shevchik reportedly resides in the entranceway of an apartment block. A police representative told Moscow's TASS news agency that an improvised explosive device was planted inside an electrical distribution box.

He said that the mayor had received numerous threats from the Ukrainian side.

Shevchik and the two guards are being treated in the hospital with injuries of varying severity.

According to local media, no residents of the apartment block were affected by the explosion.

Images on social media show the destruction caused by the blast, with a metal door torn off and thrown into the courtyard. The remains of the explosive device can also be seen, along with metal bolts used as lethal fragmentation components.

The largest nuclear power plant in Europe is located in Energodar. The city of some 50,000 fell under Russian control in the early days of the ongoing military offensive in Ukraine, with Shevchik, a Ukrainian national who was appointed by Moscow to head the local administration. Ukraine s government does not recognise Shevchik as a mayor, viewing him as part of an illegal occupation force.