Three dead in sea mine explosion near Odesa
Three civilians were killed and two wounded in a sea mine explosion at a beach in Zatoka, Odesa Oblast, regional government spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk said in a Telegram post on Aug. 15.
“Three (people) dead, with two more – hospitalized,” said Bratchuk.
Video footage of the incident is circulating in social media, with Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko posting it on his Telegram channel on Aug. 15.
There were around 10 people near the landmine when it exploded close to the shore where people were on the beach, the footage shows.
Ignoring official directives to avoid beaches in the region, a group of men decided to go for a swim in the Black Sea, triggering the explosion on Aug.14.
Zatoka is a popular beach resort to the south of the city of Odesa.
Both Ukraine and Russia are thought to have laid mines in the Black Sea in the vicinity of the Odesa ports – Ukraine, to protect its coast from amphibious attack by Russia, and Russia to maintain a blockade of Ukraine’s ports, which are vital to the country’s economy.
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