Posted on 03/24/2017 6:07:15 AM PDT by Freeport
Ukraine's largest munitions depot literally blew up yesterday, sending mushroom clouds rising and rockets flying in every direction. Most the city of Balakliya, around 20,000 people, were told to evacuate following the initial blasts, causing a chaotic exodus including gridlock traffic as secondary explosions continued to erupt at the nearby depot. At this time, no deaths have been attributed to the ongoing incident.
There has been a six mile exclusion zone established around the depot and a 31-mile radius no fly zone above it. Ukraine has called on NATO to help them deal with the runaway disaster. The government estimates the explosions could continue for days, and currently only about a third of the depot is effected—meaning much more material could light off if the fire continues to spread.
The facility stores multiple types of ammunition, including tank shells and artillery rockets, which can cook off and fly for miles, making containing the situation extremely hazardous. Reportedly, 128,000 tons of ammo is stored at the sprawling facility.
Many in Ukraine are pointing the finger at Russia or pro-Russian operatives as the cause for the initial blast, although there has been no hard evidence yet put forward to prove such an allegation. Some sources say soldiers guarding the base heard the sound of an airplane or drone before the explosion. The installation is located about 60 miles from the fighting in eastern Ukraine and supplies Ukrainian forces fighting there with ammunition. The BBC reports that the depot had been the target of an unsuccessful drone attack back in 2015.
(Excerpt) Read more at thedrive.com ...
Oh, dear. Prayers.
Imagine cleaning up after this mess. Hundreds of tons of unexploded damaged ordnance scattered all over. Shudder.
Thank you for your service.
Thank you for your service.
Kinda reminescant of Long Binh ammo dump Feb 1 1968.
lol.
In 1970 I was in Qui Nhon, Vietnam. Some lucky VC mortar crew managed to get an 82mm mortar round into the ammo depot on the other side of the city from where I was.
That sucker exploded continuously for 2 days.
Hillary did it!
I imagine we will replenish some of those munitions.
I don’t understand putting all your eggs in one basket.
Sometimes the smarta** comments DON'T even need to be made. ;)
The mortar round?
Interesting that there just happened to be a drone filming this exact location at the time of the blast.
128,000 tons?????? How many potatoes would that have bought for the hungry people of the area?
While in AIT a group of us had a BBQ on a beautiful grassy hill at the back of our fort. That is until the M.P.s chased us away as it was the Ammunition dump.
I think they got it in 1967 also.
Priories... I wonder who manufacturered all them there 22 LONG rifle bullets? Ammo and ice cream only go around once. My guess Ole Soreass made money both ways make it blow it up etc etc. They do have guns that shoot potatoes. World NOT nice place.. And..Trump did it according to CNN.
It looks like there was smoke before the big boom boom.
look at the east, before the “rocket” landed, the area was already smoking. ???
same in the upper left (NW) something is smoking.
Can you account for your whereabouts?
L
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