A fire broke out today in an ammunition depot near Kharkiv, followed by a series of explosions due to shells being stored there, local authorities said.
This warehouse is located near the territories of the separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The fire broke out, for an unknown reason, during demining works, in the warehouse of Balakliya. According to the Ministry of Defense, a similar incident took place in the same area a year ago.
Explosions were heard every 15 to 20 seconds, but the fragments of the shells were not fired at a distance, a local journalist explained to the French Agency.
However, the Kharkiv authorities announced that they were evacuating a district bordering this warehouse.
Today's fire is the fifth in three years in an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army. In March 2017, a man was killed and five others were injured in a giant fire and explosion in Balakliya.