At three in the morning near the town of Balakleya of Kharkov region was a large — scale incident exploded the warehouses where ammunition was stored. Started a fire that engulfed a military base. According to preliminary data of victims and survivors there. Local authorities are ready to evacuate 15 thousand inhabitants. The General staff was immediately informed that you have already deployed the 2 evacuation points.
“Powerful explosions were heard in the city. Threat declared area 50 km away. People run as they can. According to preliminary data, the arson was in several places. The military Prosecutor has put forward the version about diversion,” wrote a military journalist Miroslav gay on his page in Facebook. Local residents report that on this basis there were local fires, of which, apparently, were not the conclusions. However, about a panic from local not reported. The city was immediately turned off gas in the morning even cruised taxi, so leave housing people have the ability at any time.
It is worth Recalling that 29, 2015-th year under Swiatowym Luhansk region (by the way, 90 km from Blakley) night there was an explosion of artillery warehouses. According to eyewitnesses in front of them there was a picture of Vesuvius, when the South-Eastern side of the city on the background of continuous darkness in the sky rose yellow-red mushroom flame, and then in different directions began to scatter shells that fell into homes, gardens, rivers, roads, with a radius of 30 kilometers. Versions of the reasons of the explosion sounded different — from sabotage to negligence. The city authorities and rescue workers did everything possible to neutralize the effects of the incident and, surprisingly, in large scale explosions and proximity to the locality of the victim was minimal.
Similarly, in Balakleya residents note the coordinated work of the rescuers and tow trucks. However, the main question remains why the ammunition storerooms were “under the belly” among thousands of the city, which is located in the rear of hostilities and relative proximity to the border with Russia? And most importantly — why wasn’t adequate security strategic object? For the second time explode warehouses in parallel with slogans, statements and reports on the reform of the army and the sale of sophisticated military equipment abroad.
You need to pay attention to what and Svatovo, Balakleya is the towns in the North of ATO zone. Actually they belong to those cities, which cover the potentially dangerous North flank of the ATO, over which hangs a powerful Russian army (balakliia — Slavic, Svatove — Kiev). Such incidents also provoke anti-Ukrainian sentiments in this highly complex region.
“Explosions under the Balakleya suggest the first conclusion is that Ukraine is very vulnerable. There are things so obvious that not to consider them simply impossible, — says the “Day” Director of the Center for army, conversion and disarmament Valentin Badrak. — We have still not used the ability to cover strategic, military facilities, are available. Most experts are inclined to believe that in this incident need to look for the Russian trace using unmanned aircraft systems. We have excellent development, including in the private sector that serves several systems. For example, HC “Ukrspetstechnika” offers the enclave, which could function as cover objects.
Also in Ukraine there is a complex “Bukovel”, which again produces private enterprise “Proximus”. These complexes could get into the army, but very few of them buy. Preference is given to things obvious and simple, such as armored vehicles. It does not make purchases of specific products, which could give us advantages in modern warfare. Russia also is not a carrier of ultramodern technologies, but it still tries to use our spaces. Of course, you need to consider all versions of the causes of the explosion, rather than the version of Subversion with the use of unmanned capabilities. It is impossible not to take into account randomness. Some years we do not dispose of ammunition and explosives, which in the country more than 1.5 million tons”. We will add that Russia uses the Donbass as a recovery of obsolete munitions. It is no secret that not all Russian mines and shells detonated in force on the expiration date.
One of the probable versions of explosion in Balakleya that the voices of the experts, is to attempt to hide the looting of munitions. War is, of course, also “mother” to certain individuals. I will leave this version on the level of speculation until the investigation is over. The chief military Prosecutor of Ukraine Anatoly Matios quickly this morning said that the fire in military warehouses in Balakleya in Kharkiv region occurred due to sabotage (by the way, defense Minister Stepan Poltorak after the bombings in Svatovo also a few hours left to cameras with a similar version, which is still not completely confirmed).
Arson seems to have been arranged on several sides of the warehouse. Of course, Russia is interested in such diversions. But do not forget that continues the third year of the war, and the security of ammunition depots, especially in localities should be under heightened attention. Therefore, even assuming that the incidents in Balakleya and in Svatove are Russians, it is impossible to remove responsibility from those who ought to defend the rear from the ground and from the sky. Explosions in Balakliya and Svatovo during the war indicate that the defense Department have been slow to ensure the protection of strategic objects.
