Two bomb blasts in Ukraine's Kharkiv, no casualties: official

Image
AFP Kharkiv
Last Updated : Apr 07 2015 | 4:57 PM IST
Two bomb attacks today shook Ukraine's second city Kharkiv, near the Russian border and the frontline of the country's war, causing some damage but no casualties.
The Kharkiv prosecutor's office said a probe was underway for a "terrorist attack" after a strong explosion in the city centre, which knocked out windows in a nearby university building and setting car alarms screeching.
The explosion damaged a flagpole with the national flag, but failed to knock it down, said a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office.
The early morning blasts came weeks after the deaths of four people killed by a bomb that tore through a pro-government "Dignity March" marking the one-year overthrow of the former pro-Kremlin president, Viktor Yanukovych, on February 23.
The second morning blast occurred on a railway line as a freight train was passing, damaging the tracks but causing no injuries and little disruption to traffic, interior ministry officials said.
The city of 1.4 million people is a major industrial centre with a large university population and is the capital of an area bordering the pro-Russian separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, where a year of fighting between insurgents and the army has left more than 6,000 people dead.
It has been the scene of a string of bombings in the last months against military or strategic targets.
Kiev government officials say the attacks are orchestrated from Russia to destabilise a Russian-speaking region that harbours several aeronautical and aerospace firms as well as the Malyshev factories that manufacture tanks.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Apr 07 2015 | 4:57 PM IST

Next Story