A senior Russian occupation official in Berdyansk, a port city in southeastern Ukraine, was killed in his car explosion on Tuesday, local authorities installed by Moscow announced.
“The commander of Berdyansk, Artyom Bardin, who was seriously injured in the explosion of his car, died in hospital,” the local pro-Russian administration said in a statement posted on Telegram.
Earlier Tuesday, Artyom Bardin, head of the Russian-installed administration in Berdyansk, had been taken to hospital in serious condition after being injured in a bomb blast in his car.
Kyiv does not officially admit any responsibility
Local authorities have accused “Ukrainian terrorists” of being behind the attack, which they say was aimed at “intimidating” Ukrainian officials who sided with the Russians.
Several executives of the Russian occupation have been killed or wounded in attacks since the entry into Ukraine on February 24 of troops sent by Moscow. Kyiv does not officially acknowledge any responsibility for these attacks.
On August 29, a former Ukrainian MP, Alexei Kovalev, who joined Russian forces, was shot dead in the southern region of Kherson, where the Ukrainian army is leading a counteroffensive. The Ukrainian military, strong on Western military supplies, claimed initial territorial gains in this part of Ukraine.
Due to the fighting, the occupation authorities hinted on Monday that they intended to postpone a referendum scheduled for the fall and allow Russia to annex the region.
Source: BFM TV
