Updated 01:10 | Published 00:55
A powerful explosion occurred outside Moscow on Wednesday.
According to the authorities, it took place in a warehouse where fireworks were stored.
But independent Russian media raise several questions about that version.
Shortly before 11 o’clock on Wednesday morning, the town of Sergiyev Posad, approximately seven miles northeast of Moscow, was shaken by a powerful detonation. The pressure wave was so strong that buildings and cars were destroyed several hundred meters away.
The local mayor Dmitry Akulov states on Telegram that one person is dead, eight missing and 60 injured after the explosion.
At the same time writes the independent Telegram channel Baza that the remains of around ten people have been found in the ruins and that the death toll will likely exceed 15.
Manufactures military equipment
The explosion occurred in an industrial area belonging to the company Zagorsk and where it according to the Financial Times among other things, optical equipment is manufactured for the military, such as night vision binoculars.
The state-controlled news agency Ria states however, that the detonation did not take place in the factory but in an adjacent warehouse where fireworks were stored. It was rented by the private company Piro-Ross whose CEO is now being questioned, according to the authorities.
On Telegram writes Ria that the explosion was caused by “a violation of the technological process” while likewise regime-loyal Tass refers to “the human factor”.
Five question marks
Independent Russian media raises several questions after the explosion.
check The premises
Piro-Ross CEO denies according to Baza that it was a fireworks warehouse that went up in smoke. He says instead that the explosion occurred in a warehouse where metal pipes were stored, but no explosive materials.
check Information about drones
Baza writes that the investigators have not ruled out that a drone was behind the explosion. It may have been hidden in a truck that came to deliver gunpowder to the Zagorsk factory, according to the data. State-controlled Ria also mentions the information about a drone attack, but writes that it “has not been confirmed”.
check New bomber
Independent Agency writes on Telegram that the Zygorsk factory in Sergiyev Posad participated in the work of developing a new strategic bomber. The newspaper refers to government contracts from before March 2022 and writes that they are valid until 2027. The bomber, with the designation Poslannik-1OEP/L, began development back in 2009.
check Ammunition
Independent The Insider publishes publishes a film from the surroundings of the industrial area. In the clip, you can see how an object resembling artillery ammunition is lying on the ground. The authenticity of the video has not been confirmed, but according to CNN eyewitness Nikolaj tells Russian Mash that a factory that manufactures ammunition used to exist in the area. He says that Piro-Ross took over the premises, but that the company went bankrupt:
– It is unclear who worked there and what they did.
The information that Piro-Ross has been declared bankrupt is confirmed in several Russian media. According to the Moscow Times it happened in April after the company violated safety regulations several times in recent years.
check Orange smoke
Footage from the explosion shows a smaller cloud of orange smoke below the large dark mushroom cloud. According to military analyst Ruslan Leviev, who Agentstvo refers to, the color indicates that it is saltpetre that is burning. However, he states that there is probably no natural use for saltpeter in the Zygorsk plant’s known production.