Dnepropetrovsk Is Under Attack

Dnepropetrovsk Is Under Attack

Izvestia - 27 April 2012

by София Саржвеладзе

translated by Phil
Click here for the original article in Russian

A series of explosions roared through the city.  25 people have been sent to the hospital.  It's unknown whether any Russians are among the injured.

Photo: RIA Novosti

In the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk a series of explosions resonated throughout the city, Friday April 27th.

At 11:50 local time (12:50 GMT) an explosion was reported at a tram stop on Karl Marx Avenue.  The explosives had been placed in a trash bin.  13 people were injured. The blast wave knocked out windows in the tram and a car parked nearby.

Bystanders aid a victim following a series of explosions in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine

Photo: RIA Novosti

Half an hour later near the movie theaters "Rodina" there was another explosion, again from the trash bin.  11 people were injured, including 9 children.

Next a bomb exploded near the entrance to Lazar Globa park injuring 3 people.

The final explosion occurred at 1:02 pm local time (2:02 GMT) again on Karl Marx avenue.  Similar to the first two, this one was also placed in a trash can.  No one was injured.

According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Emergency Situations, 27 total people were injured, 9 of them children.  25 have been taken to hospitals for treatment.

The website gorod.dp.ua reports that rescuers and police barely had time to arrive at one location before the next explosion occurred.  Local internet forums report that the city had not four but ten total explosions.  Loud bangs were heard near the Grand Plaza shopping center from the surrounding streets of Pravda, Schmidt, Korolenko, Ozyorki and from the river embankment.  However, it is possible that these are only rumors.  Currently, panic is taking over the city.  Cellular communications have been disabled and public areas have been evacuated.  Police have removed all the trash bins from the city streets.  Subway access is limited and passengers have been advised to use the roads.

About 3:30 pm local time we received information that a skirmish had broken out near the Caravan shopping center between possible suspects in the attacks and security forces as they work to detain them.  Meanwhile, Ukrainian media has reported that the first suspects in the bombings have already been taken into custody.

The Russian Consulate General in Kharkov has been checking to see if any Russians are among the injured. So far there is no information on the victim's nationalities.  When the victims were hospitalized all of them reported a place of residence of Dnepropetrovsk the press secretary of the Russian Embassy, Elena Khomyakov, told Izvestia.

The injured from one of a series of bomb blasts in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine

Photo: RIA Novosti

An operational headquarters has been created in Dnepropetrovsk by Ukrainian Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko.  The working staff includes investigators, criminologists and bomb technicians.  The police have enhanced their inspection of public areas, checking all suspicious objects.

People have been advised not to go out on the streets.  All students have been released from their classes.  Movement in the city center has been shut down.  City residents have posted pictures of armored personnel carriers in the streets on social networking sites.  The army has confirmed that this type of equipment has entered Dnepropetrovsk.

The prosecutor's office has opened a criminal investigation under part 2 statute 248 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code for a "Terrorist Act".  President Viktor Yanukovych called the incident, "another challenge for the country".  He also said the best detectives will be involved in the case.

A source at the Ministry of Interior Affairs told reporters from "Most-Dnepr" that the criminals "were very professional" and the explosives contained a lot of metal objects.  The case has now been taken over by the Ukrainian Security Service.

"We will think of how to adequately respond," said [Ukrainian President] Yanukovych.