Explosions in Crimea: occupiers flee from Dzhankoi, about 2,000 people already evacuated

IRYNA BALACHUK – TUESDAY, 16 AUGUST, 10:36

The occupiers in Crimea began evacuating people after explosions at an ammunition storage site near Dzhankoi; as of 10.00 on 16 August, about 2,000 people have already left.

Source: Ivan Fedorov, Mayor of Melitopol (Zaporizhzhia Oblast), on Telegram; Refat Chubarov, Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, on Facebook; Sergey Aksyonov, puppet governor of Russia, self-proclaimed Prime Minister of occupied Crimea, on Telegram, representative of the president in the ARC Crimea Tamila Tasheva on Facebook

Quote from Fedorov: "Melitopol is the only land corridor to Crimea. No Melitopol - no Crimea! Meanwhile, the evacuation of the population has begun near Dzhankoi due to the detonation of ammunition. No one will have time to hide. And there will soon be nowhere to retreat!".

Details: Chubarov noted that "thousands of citizens of the Russian Federation" have already advanced towards the bridge across the Kerch Strait.

Aksyonov, the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of Crimea, also announced the evacuation of the population.

Quote from Aksyonov: "I gave the command - now the 5-kilometre zone is cordoned off, the taking out of all people who are in the 5-kilometre zone is underway... About two thousand people have been evacuated from the emergency zone in the Dzhankoi district."

Details: According to him, people were taken out from the villages of Azovske and Mayske of Dzhankoi district; they were temporarily placed in schools in the villages of Kondratievo, Tabachne and Pobiedne. 

Aksyonov also reported that two men were injured as a result of the explosions; one was wounded by shrapnel, the other "was crushed by a wall."

The official added that "the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and the investigative commission will talk about the causes [of detonations at the ammunition storage site - ed.]."

Tamila Tasheva reported that huge queues have formed to leave Crimea, as the Russian occupiers are fleeing the peninsula.

Quote from Tasheva: "The Russian occupiers and colonisers are already fleeing Crimea. Today, after yet another Russian negligence in terms of handling the ammunition, it detonated in Dzhankoy district. People are hiding in basements. There are huge queues to leave Crimea."

Details: Tasheva emphasised that Ukraine will definitely liberate Crimea, "using all possible and non-prohibited mechanisms for struggle", and called on the people living on the peninsula to be careful, to hide in equipped places or their basements.

Background: 

• On the morning of 16 August, explosions rocked the Dhzankoi district of Russian-occupied Crimea; fire could be seen on the scene. It was reported that an ammunition storage site in the village of Maiske had been hit.

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