An explosion rocked a Russian-occupied town in southeastern Ukraine on Monday, reportedly the result of a Ukrainian strike against a Russian ammunition depot.
The blast occurred in the town of Nova Kakhovka in Ukraine’s Kherson region. The strike hit a Russian ammunition warehouse and killed 52 Russian soldiers, according to Ukrainian officials. A Russian-backed official in the region claimed an American High Mobility Artillery Rocket System was used in the attack. The HIMARS has been used effectively in strikes against Russian targets in recent weeks since being provided to Ukrainian forces by the United States.
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“In Nova Kakhovka minus one Russian ammo depot. They brought, brought, stockpiled, stockpiled, and now have fireworks at night,” Serhiy Khlan, a member of the Kherson regional government, said of the strike.
A purported video of the blast posted on social media showed a large fireball rising into the night sky. Multiple smaller explosions can be heard before the sound of a much larger blast reaches the person recording.
В Новой Каховке в качестве шага доброй воли демилитаризовался очередной склад боеприпасов российских оккупантов pic.twitter.com/kHy3KcPLwI
— Денис Казанський (@den_kazansky) July 11, 2022
Ukrainian media reported that Monday’s strike was the fourth ammunition depot destroyed in Nova Kakhovka.
Russian state media also reported on Monday that the strike was carried out by Ukrainian armed forces using the U.S.-made HIMARS, citing Ekaterina Gubareva, the deputy head of the Russian-installed administration of the region. However, the report claimed a fertilizer plant was struck in the attack and that dozens of civilians were injured.
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In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have used HIMARS to target Russian ammunition depots, destroying as many as 20, according to reports.
The U.S. pledged four more HIMARS to Ukraine last week, bringing the total in the country to 12.
