Two injured in blast in Ukraine's Russia-controlled Melitopol

MOSCOW: Two people were injured following an explosion in the Moscow-controlled city of Melitopol in southeastern Ukraine, local pro-Kremlin authorities said on Monday, blaming Kyiv.

Russian troops took control of the city in the Zaporizhzhia region in the early days of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine, but were met with fierce resistance.

"This morning there was a terrorist attack aimed at destabilising the peaceful life of the city," Melitopol's Russia-installed authorities said on Telegram. 

According to the statement, a car packed with explosives blew up in the city centre, injuring two "humanitarian aid" volunteers, a 28-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man.

"The Ukrainian government continues its war on the civilian population and the infrastructure of cities," the statement said, adding that an investigation was underway. 

Clouds of black smoke were visible in the city on Monday morning. The blast shook the windows and walls of nearby buildings, Vladimir Rogov, a Russia-appointed official in Melitopol, said on Telegram. 

In another sign that Moscow is looking to maintain a long-term presence in parts of Ukraine controlled by its troops, Russian investigators said they would be looking into the blast. 

Russia's Investigative Committee "will identify the persons involved in committing this crime in order to bring the perpetrators to justice," it said in a statement. 

According to its information, the blast "organised by Ukrainian saboteurs" took place during the distribution of humanitarian aid near a residential building. 

Three people were injured, two of whom are in hospital, the investigators said. 

Some reports suggested that the blast took place near the area where the Russia-installed head of the Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, lives.

Last week, the Moscow-appointed mayor of Enerhodar, another city in the Zaporizhzhia region under Russian control, was injured in an explosion.