Explosion Taganrog: Russia accuses Ukraine and threatens retaliation, Kyiv responds

Rostov region governor Vasily Golubev wrote about the explosion on Telegram.

According to him, the explosion in a cafe in the center of Taganrog was probably caused by a rocket. Rescuers are working at the scene, and there are allegedly no casualties. 

"There are several injured people who have been treated by ambulances. Four people were lightly injured by broken glass. Information about the damage is being clarified," he wrote.

The governor noted that 15 people had sought medical assistance and received minor injuries from shrapnel. According to him, the epicenter of the explosion was on the territory of the Taganrog Art Museum. 

"The museum wall, roof, garages and outbuildings were destroyed. The frames in the windows and balconies of the neighboring 3-storey apartment building were smashed," the statement said.

It is noted that 9 people were allegedly taken to hospitals with moderate and mild injuries.

Later, Golubev said that another missile was allegedly shot down over the Azov district of Rostov region. The possible consequences are being clarified. 

Taganrog Mayor Andrey Fateyev said that a state of emergency would be introduced in the city

Russia blames Ukraine

The Russian Defense Ministry said that air defense allegedly shot down a Ukrainian missile.

"Russian air defense systems detected and intercepted a Ukrainian missile in the air. The wreckage of the downed Ukrainian missile fell on the territory of Taganrog," the statement says. 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the Taganrog explosion "another terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime" and said that Taganrog's residential infrastructure was allegedly fired upon by "an anti-aircraft missile of the S-200 air defense system converted to a strike version."

According to a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russian air defense systems were allegedly able to detect and intercept the missile in time, the wreckage of which fell on the city's territory.

In addition, Zakharova said that an unmanned aerial vehicle was neutralized by air defense systems in the Moscow region of the Russian Federation, calling the incident an attempted terrorist attack.

"The Russian side reserves the right to take tough measures in response," Zakharova said.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported that a criminal case had been opened over the alleged Ukrainian attack "on the grounds of a crime under Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (terrorist act)."

What is Ukraine’s reaction

The Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov commented on the Taganrog explosion. 

"The events in Taganrog are nothing more than absolutely incompetent actions of the operators of Russian air defense systems," he wrote.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Presidential Office, wrote on Twitter that all the events in Russia, including Taganrog, are the consequences of Russia's full-scale invasion and "uncontrolled processes of disintegration of governance systems at various levels and growing internal protests."

"Investigations are needed to determine the immediate causes of the explosions. However, the 'causes and consequences' are obvious: incompetence, malice and irresponsibility of Putin's elite," he added