Balakliya

Balakliia is a town in Kharkiv Oblast where Ukraine's largest ammunition depot is located. On the night of March 23, 2017, an explosion occurred at the military base there. It was so powerful that it was felt in surrounding towns and villages, and the fire could be seen tens of kilometers from the town.

As a result of the disaster, 1 woman died and 265 buildings were damaged, including 231 residential houses. According to a statement by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the disaster was the result of sabotage.

On November 15, 2019, explosions again rang out at the depot. Three Ukrainian servicemen were killed and four more were seriously wounded.

The Ministry of Defense explained that the cause may have been the explosion of a solid-fuel rocket motor. In particular, while the remains of ammunition were being loaded into a special pit for disposal, a 3M9 motor of the "Kub" surface-to-air missile system caught fire.

Read the latest news about Balakliia and how the town lives during Russia's war against Ukraine.