Car blown up in Melitopol, supposedly with Russian-installed official inside

14 MARCH 2023

A powerful explosion has occurred in the centre of the temporarily occupied city of Melitopol. An official representing the occupying authorities was likely inside the car that exploded.

Source: RIA Melitopol; Ivan Fedorov, legitimate mayor of Melitopol; Vladimir Rogov, collaborationist

Details: RIA Melitopol, a Russian propaganda news agency reports that a car was blown up in Melitopol at Heroiv Ukrainy Street, 48. The explosion took place in the yard near a nine-story living house.

RIA Melitopol reports that “an official” was killed. Later, an information appeared that the car belonged to collaborationist and fireman Dmytro Kucherkov.

Collaborationist Vladimir Rogov claimed that Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, which was blown up, supposedly belonged to Ivan Tkach, the local entrepreneur who owned one of the largest private transport companies in Melitopol.

Initially, Rogov said that one person was hurt in the explosion; later, he said that it was two people, a man and a woman. Both were taken to a hospital.

He added that an improvised explosive device was used to blow up the car.

Yet Rogov also stated that “according to the preliminary reports, the force of the explosion, which destroyed a car near the market in Kirov Street, was about 1 kg of explosive in the TNT equivalent.”

Dmytro Kucherkov is former acting head of Melitopol City and District Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, who agreed to cooperate with the occupiers.

Reminder: It’s not the first time that a car is blown up in Melitopol.

A vehicle belonging to Russian occupiers exploded in the centre of the occuied city on 23 December 2022. Andrii Blavatskyy, a policeman recruited by the Russians was among the victims.

Dmytro Trukhin, former MP from Opposition Platform-For Life, a pro-Russian party that is now banned, was wounded in аn explosion on 15 November; on6 December, the same happened to Mykola Volyk, a local collaborationist.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!