Moscow-imposed authorities in Ukraine's Crimea that was illegally annexed by Russia say explosions hit a military airport near the village of Novofedorivka, killing one person.
The Russian-appointed head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, wrote on Telegram on August 9 that one person was killed and expressed condolences to the victim's relatives. He did not identify the victim.
Meanwhile, local health officials said that five people, including one child, were injured.
What Russian aircraft was at the military airfield near Novofedorivka BEFORE the explosions?This airfield is one of the key airfields on the Crimean peninsula for Russian aviation. pic.twitter.com/SR7sy6ZdS3
— Схеми (@cxemu) August 9, 2022
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement earlier that the detonation of aviation ammunition caused the explosions, without clarifying who or what triggered the blast.
The ministry's statement implied that the airfield was not targeted in an attack and said that no one was injured.
The primary cause appeared to be a “violation of fire safety requirements,” the ministry said, according to an unidentified ministry source quoted by TASS. The ministry said no warplanes were damaged.
SEE ALSO: Live Briefing: Russia Invades UkraineThe Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it did not know what caused the explosions but suggested that Russia may use the incident as propaganda.
An adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine was not taking responsibility for the explosions.
Mykhaylo Podolyak, asked by the Dozhd online television channel whether Kyiv was taking responsibility, replied: "Of course not. What do we have to do with this?"
Zelenskiy responded to the attack by vowing to retake Crimea from Russia.
“This Russian war against Ukraine and against all of free Europe began with Crimea and must end with Crimea -- its liberation,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. “Today it is impossible to say when this will happen. But we are constantly adding the necessary components to the formula for the liberation of Crimea.”
Last week, five Russian Navy staff members were wounded by an explosion after a presumed drone flew into the courtyard of Russia's Black Sea fleet in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol.
Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched its ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24.