Massive explosions ripped through an ammunition depot near Ichnia in Chernihiv Oblast in the early hours of Oct. 9, with residents reporting that the blasts, heard up to 50 kilometers away, were shaking window panes and causing tiles to fall from walls.
The incident at the depot, some 170 kilometers east of Kyiv, started at 3:30 a.m. As of noon on Oct. 9 fires were still raging at the site and explosions still rocking the area, with the authorities imposing a 16-kilometer-radius evacuation zone. There are no reports of any injuries.
The Ichnia arsenal covers an area of 682,000 square meters and contains 88,000 tons of ammunition. There are no chemical weapons stored there, according to the authorities.
The local authorities have cut off electricity and gas supplies to the area; they have also closed 30 kilometers of airspace around the site. So far, 12,000 people have been evacuated from 30 settlements located in the 16-kilometer zone around the arsenal; the evacuation continues, including from hospitals, the authorities have reported.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine also said has started an operation to stop the fire.
According to the Ukrainian military, the incident started with two simultaneous explosions in one area of the depot, followed moments later by two more in another area, RFE/RL reporter Christopher Miller tweeted from a Ukrainian army press conference.
Massive explosions at an ammunition depot in the village of Druzhba, Chernihiv Oblast, prompted the authorities to declare a 16-kilometer evacuation zone. The local authorities have also closed 30-kilometer-radius zone of airspace over the site. (Map by Yuliana Romanyshyn).
The description of the start of the incident suggested sabotage, Miller tweeted. BBC corespondent Jonah Fisher, also on Twitter, said: “Ukraine’s defense ministry say they believe the explosion/fire at an ammunition depot this morning is probably an act of sabotage.”
At press conference, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry claims Ichnia ammo depot blast caused by two simultaneous explosions in one area of depot, followed moments later by two more in another area, suggesting sabotage. Live stream: https://t.co/MSkEayyfAZ
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) October 9, 2018
However, such incidents are extremely frequent in Ukraine: the last one came just 18 months ago, on March 23, 2017, when a massive fire hit another Ukrainian armed forces’ ammunition depot in Kharkiv Oblast. Formerly the biggest in Ukraine, the depot contained 138,000 tons of ammunition, including 152-millimeter and 122-millimeter tank and artillery shells.
The fires and explosions at the Kharkiv depot continued for several days, and two people were killed as a result of the explosions. The explosions also damaged 396 buildings, and locals are still struggling to repair their homes.
Fire and explosions hit the Ukraine’s Defense Ministry ammunition depot in Chernihiv Oblast early on Oct. 9. (Vlad Musiienko)
1:05 p.m. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the capital’s authorities are ready to assist in eliminating the consequences of explosions at the ammunition depot in Chernihiv Oblast.
“More than 10,000 people have been evacuated from the danger zone. Most of them to Nizhyn (50 kilometers north of Ichnia). I spoke with the mayor of Nizhyn. I offered help. If necessary, we will provide what is needed and what we can,” Klitschko said, adding that the State Emergencies Service in Kyiv had already prepared 11 fire rescue vehicles and 50 firefighters to go to Chernihiv Oblast.
1:20 p.m. Some 63 people have applied for medical help due to the effects of smoke inhalation from the fires at the ammunition depot in Chernihiv Oblast, reports Interfax-Ukraine, referring to the local authorities.
2 p.m. There are no rockets or large caliber artillery systems stored at the burning arsenal, according to Deputy General Staff Chief Rodion Tymoshenko.
“Large missiles, such as the Buk, and other large missile systems are not stored at the depot,” Tymoshenko said, adding that about 20 percent of ammunition stored there are ammunition parts, which can’t explode.
He also said that the intensity of the explosions has decreased. Now the smoke has filled the air, which makes “reconnaissance” using drones difficult.
“Therefore, reconnaissance is being carried out directly on the ground. A fire tank with the appropriate crew has been put forward, who will see directly on the ground what to do, what are the causes and further actions to eliminate the fire,” Tymoshenko said.
He could specify the the amount of ammunition stored in the warehouses because this information is not public, but he claimed it’s certainly 1.5–2 times less than 88,000 tons, “as some media reported.”
Ammo depot near Ichnia, Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine, which was hit by massive explosions at about 3:30 a.m. local time. Set in forest, some of the ammo is simply piled up in huge stacks in the open air. pic.twitter.com/5MDnj2ZBHX
— Euan MacDonald (@Euan_MacDonald) October 9, 2018
2:39 p.m. Ukraine is infamous about how it guards its strategic locations. Just this summer, on July 15, two video bloggers sneaked into at tank storage facility and revealed significant security weaknesses at a state-owned tank factory in Kharkiv.
They posted a recording of their adventure to YouTube, it showed hundreds of old tanks and a dozen new ones stored in an outdoor storage warehouse with no security. Many viewers were outraged that a tank warehouse was left unguarded, while Ukraine fights a war against Russia and its proxies in the Donbas.
7:51 p.m. Ukraine’s Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak says that the burning ammunition depot in Chernihiv Oblast was half full at the time of the emergency, since the critical and scarce ammunition for the army had been previously relocated to other storage sites.
8 p.m. Ukraine’s Security Service is currently considering three versions of why the fire hit the arsenal in Chernihiv Oblast: the subversion of the sabotage group; the violation of the rules of fire safety or storage of ammunition; and the deliberate arson or explosion in order to conceal the lack of ammunition.
8:03 p.m. The situation at the arsenal is favorable for extinguishing the fire, and according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, firefighters will soon manage to do it.
