At about 8pm Wednesday night local time a massive blast shook the central Ukrainian city of Kropivnitsky in what is being initially described as a mystery explosion.
Conflicting Ukrainian social media accounts include city residents citing anywhere between four and up to nine blasts, with initial reports of an electrical blackout in the city.
Among the locations where explosions and a fire were observed in Kropivnitsky, which is the administrative center of the Kirovohrad Oblast, was at a local gas station which may have held fuel storage tanks.
Emergency crews are said to be responding, and there are early reports of injuries, with locals noting on social media that initial blasts were so large a mushroom cloud appeared over the city.
Most unconfirmed social media sources at this point are saying Wednesday night’s incident involved one or more gas stations and/or a fuel depot.