A man reportedly had his leg blown off and bled to death
At least one person has been killed in a car bombing in the Russian city of Sevastopol in Crimea, local officials have confirmed.
The powerful blast, which occurred in the western part of the city, was reported by several Russian media outlets on Wednesday morning. The Shot Telegram channel reported that the victim, a serviceman, was driving alone past a local supermarket, adding that he had had leg blown off and was promptly treated by the paramedics at the scene, but they were unable to save him.
Later, Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev confirmed the incident, saying that the blast and a fire were reported at around 10am local time, adding that the victim served in the military. He noted that the investigation is ongoing, stressing that “obviously sabotage cannot be ruled out.”
While Razvozhaev provided no further details on the victim, local media claimed that he was a serviceman in his forties. According to Baza, he was a captain 1st rank, equivalent to a colonel in the army, in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
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Videos circulating on social media show a vehicle – which is parked on a narrow road – completely wrecked and twisted by an explosion, with a huge hole in the bottom on the driver’s side. Other clips show an ambulance and a group of paramedics working on the scene.
Sevastopol is home to the main naval base of the Russian Black Sea fleet, and has often been attacked by Ukraine with drones and missiles. One of the most notorious strikes took place in June, when an ATACMS missile exploded over a local beach, killing four civilians, including two children, and injuring more than 150 others.
