Moscow-appointed mayor hurt in explosion; Investigative Committee launches probe

A Moscow-appointed mayor, Andrey Shevchik, was injured in an explosion on Sunday. According to the Russian state news agency, TASS, Shevchik is the mayor of Ukraine's southern city, Enerhodar. The explosion reportedly took place when he was entering his building on Sunday evening. Though it was not clear whether the mayor was lightly injured or critically injured, several Russian and Ukrainian media organisations reported that Shevchik was in the intensive care unit. Meanwhile, Shevchik's press office informed media persons that the Russian Investigative Committee has launched a probe into the matter. The office told the media that his two guards were also injured in the explosion.

"Investigators will establish the circumstances of the attempt on the life of the mayor of Energodar in the Zaporozhye region, which is under the control of the Russian Armed Forces, as part of the investigation into crimes by Ukrainian nationalists," TASS quoted the Investigative Committee report. Meanwhile, Dmytro Orlov, the elected mayor of Enerhodar, confirmed the reports of injuries but, he too did not comment on the severity of the attack. "We have a proper report that during the blast the self-proclaimed head of the 'people's administration' Shevchik and his guards were wounded," he said on Telegram. Apart from the three, he added that nobody was harmed in the incident. 

It is pertinent to mention here that Shevchik was appointed the mayor following the attack of Russian troops in February this year. The city of around 50,000 people, was built in 1970 to serve Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and Chornobyl plant. The Russian forces had first targetted this region in the early phase of the war. Since then, experts have been raising fears that it could be the next nuclear disaster.

Russia-Ukraine war

Russia initiated a full-fledged war against Ukraine nearly two days after Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognising the independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk. Putin's action came despite the West's repetitive warning and speculations about his ill intention to invade Ukraine. On February 24, Russian troops started a military operation in Ukraine. Since then, it has been bombarding several cities in Ukraine, resulting in the killing of thousands of civilians. Recently, during an interview with a Russian state media, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is not in the mood to wrap up the ongoing "special military operations" until the goals are accomplished.