Explosion Rocks Russian City of Taganrog, Followed by Missile Strikes in Dnipro
An explosion in the southern port city of Taganrog has shaken Russia, causing damage and injuries. This incident, occurring 18 months into the ongoing war in Ukraine, has left the Russian population unaccustomed to such destruction on their own soil.
The explosion was followed by missile strikes in the city of Dnipro, where a high-rise residential building and the regional office of Ukraine’s domestic security service, the SBU, were targeted. Nine people, including two children, were wounded in the attack. This marked the third time the SBU building in Dnipro has been struck by Russian missiles, according to Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov.
Videos from the scenes depict collapsed sections of the buildings and rescuers searching for survivors amidst the rubble. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to Telegram to condemn the attacks, stating, “Russian missile terror again.” He also called for a meeting with top military and security officials to address the situation.
As for the explosion in Taganrog, Ukrainian authorities have remained silent, adhering to their policy of neither confirming nor denying attacks within Russia. The Russian defense ministry claimed that the explosion resulted from its air defenses intercepting a Ukrainian missile. According to their statement, debris from the downed rocket destroyed a café and museum courtyard in the city center. Another missile was reportedly shot down over the Rostov region, with debris falling outside the city of Azov.
These strikes come after a series of Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, including Odesa, following Moscow’s withdrawal from a UN-brokered grain export deal. Ukraine has previously targeted sites inside Russia, mainly through the use of drones. Acts of sabotage, such as the destruction of military supply sites, have also been attributed to Ukraine. Artillery fire has even reached Russian settlements near the Ukrainian border.
Taganrog, located deeper in the southern Rostov region, is around 50km away from the border with Russian-occupied areas of southern Ukraine and nearly 150km from the frontline. The city is home to a military air base used by Russian forces in their invasion of Ukraine. In 2022, thousands of Ukrainians from the country’s southeast were sent to camps in Taganrog while Russian forces besieged the city of Mariupol.
Videos shared on social media show the extent of the destruction in Taganrog, with a ruined building, rubble in the yard of the city’s art museum, and a damaged café named after playwright Anton Chekhov. A deep crater was left in the museum yard, and windows were blown out in a nearby apartment block.
As rescuers continue to work at the site, Rostov governor Vasily Golubev reported that there were no casualties, only light injuries from broken glass. The Russian defense ministry claimed that the second strike in Dnipro involved a converted S-200 air defense missile. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that President Vladimir Putin had been informed of the incident, while foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Russia reserved the right to take retaliatory measures.
The situation remains tense as both sides in the war continue to engage in acts of violence. The international community watches closely, hoping for a resolution to the conflict that has already caused immense suffering and destruction.