YouTubeAn ammunition base in Ukraine has allegedly been sabotaged and the blaze has resulted in the evacuation of more than 20,000 people who live nearby.
The fire broke out in the base situated in Balakliya, near Kharkiv, which is around 100 kilometres from the front line of the ongoing war between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists.
Due to the current political situation, Chief military prosecutor Anatoliy Matios is convinced the fire cannot be a coincidence and is the “result of sabotage.”
YThe munitions depot fire fell on the same day as the killing of Russian lawmaker Denis Voronenkov, who moved to Ukraine last year, prompting Ukrainian officials to declare the blaze “no accident” and an “act of state terrorism” by Russia.
All residents within a 10km (6 miles) radius of the fire have been evacuated in an attempt to keep the population safe.
Thankfully, there has been no reported civilian casualties reported.
The base, which spans more than 350 hectares, stores 138,000 tons of ammunition, including missiles and is a key supply for Ukrainian forces at war with the separatists.
Take a look at footage of the blaze below:
Authorities are investigating the possibility of an explosive device being dropped from a drone, which was the method believed to have been used when someone tried to set the base on fire in December 2015.
The conflict between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels has claimed more than 9,700 lives since 2014.
