Bomb hits Russian-occupied Ukraine city of Melitopol – Russian, Ukraine officials

KYIV (Reuters) – A car bomb exploded in the Russia-controlled Ukrainian city of Melitopol city on Monday, injuring several people in what Russia’s Investigative Committee and a Ukrainian official said may have been the work of Ukrainians opposed to Russia.

“On 30 May 2022, an explosion reportedly took place in the centre of Melitopol near a residential building at the time of distribution of humanitarian aid, which was organized by Ukrainian saboteurs,” the Russian investigative committee said on its website.

According to preliminary information, three people were injured as a result, the committee added.

Melitopol’s exiled mayor Ivan Fedorov also reported the explosion in separate statement, adding that it occurred near a building that belongs to the head of Russia-appointed administration.

He said it was possible that the explosion was the work of local resistance as the city’s inhabitants continued to protest against the occupation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier on Monday condemned the explosion, saying attacks against civilian infrastructure in Russia-occupied areas of Ukraine were “outrageous”.

(Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)