A massive explosion shook the city of Donetsk on Friday, the metropolis of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DDR) in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists.
The TASS news agency informs about it. “At approximately 7:00 pm (5:00 pm CET), a car exploded in a parking lot near the government building,” stated the Joint Ceasefire Control and Coordination Center. “The explosion was heard throughout the city,” added the office on the Telegram communication network. According to preliminary data, the explosion did not claim any victims or injuries.
Officials from the Ministry of Emergency Situations arrived at the site of the explosion. In a statement, authorities called on residents “to stay calm, vigilant and avoid moving around the city.” According to the local news agency, the vehicle belonged to Denis Sinenkov, the chief of the DPRR militia department.
People’s Republican leader Denis Pushkin and leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic (People’s Republic of China) Leonid Pasechnik announced on Friday that residents of both separatist republics will be evacuated to Russia due to the growing danger of fighting. The measure comes at a time of growing concerns about the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a one-time contribution of 10,000 rubles (116 euros) to be paid to refugees from Donbas. In his own words, Pushkin has information that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will soon order troops to launch an offensive and invade the territory of the DPRK and the LRR.
“At the moment, hundreds of thousands of Russian residents of Donbas are at risk of extermination by the Ukrainian military at the instigation of Western supporters. Donetsk and Luhansk need our support and protection more than ever before.” The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) said in a statement on Friday, TASS writes.
The situation along the contact line in eastern Ukraine worsened on Thursday morning. Both separatist republics reported one of the most intense shelling in a few months. Authorities have not reported any deaths, one woman has been injured and several civilian buildings have been damaged. The Ukrainian army also reported the injury of several soldiers and civilians during the combat activities of the pro-Russian forces.
