Explosions rock airbase in Crimea

Blasts at a Russian Navy facility were caused by aircraft ammo detonations, the defense ministry reported

Residents in Crimea’s Saki region witnessed several powerful explosions on Tuesday, which went off at a Russian Navy airfield near the town of Novofedorovka.

The blasts were caused by the detonation of ammunition at the base, the Russian defense ministry said in a statement, adding that nobody was hurt in the incident.

Images posted on social media showed clouds of smoke rising behind houses and the sound of multiple explosions can be heard in the video footage. Smoke from the scene rose high enough to be seen from nearby beaches.

The Head of the Republic of Crimea, Sergey Aksenov acknowledged an incident had taken place in Novofedorovka and said he was going there to investigate the situation.

Hospitals in the Saki region and the nearby resort city of Evpatoria have sent ambulances there, RIA Novosti reported.

Novofedorovka is located on the coast of Crimea about 40km northwest of the regional capital, Simferopol. The Saki base is on the outskirts of the settlement and some personnel live in the town.

During Soviet times the airfield was a training center for pilots of aircraft carrier jets. The Russian navy has been using it to train pilots since Crimea joined Russia in 2014.