KYIV, May 22 (Reuters) – The Russian-appointed mayor of Enerhodar, a Ukrainian town near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, was injured in an explosion on Sunday, a Ukrainian official and the Russian news agency said. RIA.
Andre Chevtchouk, placed at the head of the city after its capture by the Russian army, was hospitalized in intensive care, according to RIA, which quotes a source within the emergency services.
“We have precise confirmation that during the explosion the self-proclaimed head of the ‘people’s administration’ Shevchuk and his bodyguards were injured,” said Dmitro Orlov, whom Ukraine recognizes as the mayor of the city, in a message on Telegram.
Enerhodar had more than 50,000 inhabitants before Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Many of these inhabitants work in the two nuclear power plants close to the neighbour, including that of Zaporijjia, the largest in Europe.
Reuters could not independently verify these claims.
Russia says lead in Ukraine a “special military operation”. (Reportage Conor Humphries and Max Hunder, French version Bertrand Boucey)