Since late Tuesday afternoon, several settlements in the Russian region of Vladimir are being evacuated for reasons that have not yet been officially confirmed. The largest of the affected settlements, Pershino, is located about 70 kilometers northeast of the Russian capital, Moscow. Videos of intense explosions in the area are circulating on social networks.
The region’s governor, Alexander Awdeyev, asked journalists and bloggers to refrain from speculation and only publish official information. He confirmed the explosions in a message on his Telegram channel. Official information on the causes of the evacuation is expected to be announced later in the evening.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations has announced that a state of emergency has been declared in the affected district of Kirschatzk. There are currently no reports of injuries.
According to Elena Karpowa, the administrative head of the affected district, all available rescue services are currently on standby. She urged the population to remain calm. The government of the Vladimir region has called on the population not to travel to the district where the state of emergency has been declared.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has now confirmed that the explosion was at a munitions depot. According to RIA Novosti, a fire at a military unit in the Vladimir region caused the ammunition stored in a warehouse to explode. There were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire was a violation of safety regulations when working with explosive materials.
Further information will follow.