Car bombing hits media company in Russia’s Melitopol
An explosive-laden car detonated near the office of a local media outlet in the city of Melitopol in Zaporozhye Region on Tuesday, injuring five people and causing “significant damage” to the premises, Aleksandr Malkevich, a member of Russia’s Civic Chamber, has said. He added that there were no military targets in the vicinity.
The car bombing rocked the building of the channel ZaTV, injuring employees and other civilians and damaging the building itself, according to the official.
Zaporozhye was officially declared part of Russia in early October, along with Kherson Region and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, after voters in those regions overwhelmingly supported the move in public referendums.
Malkevich said that the explosive device had a yield equivalent to 1.5-2kg of TNT.
Footage from the blast scene shows both the interior and exterior of the building having been devastated, with windows shattered. The local authorities have said the incident is being investigated as a terrorist attack.
Later, the city’s administration clarified that all of the victims had only minor injuries, with one being taken to the hospital.
Vladimir Rogov, a senior official with the Zaporozhye Region's administration, stated that ZaTV would continue its operations despite the blast. Speaking to RIA Novosti, he insisted that Ukraine “wouldn’t be able to strip people of their right to receive reliable and unbiased information."
