At Least Seven Killed by Ukrainian Strike on Russian-Held Town

At least seven people were killed and 70 wounded in an overnight missile attack by Ukrainian forces on the Russian-held town of Nova Kakhovka in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, the Russian-installed administration there said on Tuesday.

Unverified footage on social media showed smoke and sparks, followed by an immense fireball erupting into the night sky. Pictures showed rubble strewn across streets and scorched buildings.

Officials from the Russian-installed administration said that Ukraine struck with U.S.-supplied HIMARS missiles that destroyed warehouses containing saltpeter, a chemical compound that can be used to make fertilizer or gunpowder, resulting in a large explosion.

Ukrainian officials said their forces had destroyed an ammunition depot in Nova Kakhovka. Serhiy Bratchuk, Odessa administration spokesperson, wrote on his Telegram channel that Nova Kakhovka was now “minus” its ammunition warehouse.

“There are already seven dead for sure,” TASS quoted Vladimir Leontyev, head of the Russia-installed Kakhovka District military-civilian administration.

“There are still many people under the rubble. The injured are being taken to the hospital, but many people are blocked in their apartments and houses,” Leontyev added.

Reuters could not immediately verify battlefield reports.