Massive Ukraine Munitions Blasts May Have Been Caused By a Drone (bbc.com)

dryriver writes: The BBC reports that 20,000 people are being evacuated from the immediate area around a munition dump in Ukraine that has gone up in flames. The 350 hectare munition dump near Kharkiv is around 100km (60 miles) from fighting against Russian-backed separatists and was used to supply military units in the conflict zone in nearby Luhansk and Donetsk. A drone was reported to have been used in an earlier attempt to set the facility on fire in December 2015. Authorities are now investigating whether someone possibly flew a drone over the facility that dropped an explosive device that caused the stored munitions to catch fire and explode. Ukrainian authorities believe that the conflagration at the facility is the result of sabotage.

Comments

Re:350 Hectares?

[quonset]

It's near the frontline with the Russian troops who are shelling Ukrainian towns and villages every day as well as making ground attacks on Ukrainian positions, close enough to quickly resupply Ukrainian troops.

While large, this was probably in place from long ago, a relic of the Russian puppet Yanukovych. Since Ukraine didn't have the time or resources to move the munitions to proper storage before the Russians attacked, they used what they have.

The Russians had previously tried to attack this place late in 2015. With all the drones coming in from Russia, assuming this is the case, it was only a matter of time before they got a shot at this immobile target.

Re:Neglect is more likely

[PopeRatzo]

Cold War explosives are becoming unstable and they tend to explode on their own, especially when there is insufficient money to maintain proper storage.

You know what else is becoming unstable? Vladimir Putin's political enemies and journalists. They're dropping like flies, literally. Earlier this week, one mysteriously flew out a fifth floor window.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/mikeh...

And just yesterday, one was mysteriously gunned down in Kiev.

https://www.adn.com/nation-wor...

Since the election, we've had nine prominent opponents of Vladimir Putin become unstable and expire mysteriously. Such coincidence!