Kyiv says explosion near Vladivostok (4,000 miles from Ukraine) was successful attack on Russian troops, while Moscow blames gas malfunction

A series of explosions occurred around the village of Shchitovaya near Russia’s Vladivostok on Tuesday morning, according to local authorities and media reports.

Eyewitnesses told the news site Vladivostok1.ru that they spotted traffic police, FSB officers, and the military in the area stopping vehicles and checking drivers’ documents.

Emergency services, including rescue workers from the Emergency Situations Ministry and ambulances, were also seen at the village’s entrance. A military helicopter was also circling over the suspected incident site, according to Novaya Gazeta.

The region’s anti-terrorism committee later stated that the heavy presence of emergency and security forces was due to an “incident near administrative buildings with adjacent parking areas.” According to the official statement, the explosions were caused by “a series of pops related to the use of gas equipment.” No casualties were reported, though some vehicles sustained minor damage.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, the HUR, claimed responsibility for the blasts, which they described as part of a targeted attack on a Russian military installation in Vladivostok. Citing sources within the agency, Ukrainian media reported that the operation was carried out as an act of retaliation for alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces.

According to the Ukrainian side, multiple explosions struck the parking area of a military unit housing the 47th Separate Air Assault Battalion of Russia’s 155th Naval Infantry Brigade. Ukraine asserted that the unit was involved in battles near Kyiv, Vuhledar, Mariupol, and in the Kursk and Pokrovsk areas, and it used “exceptional brutality” in its treatment of civilians and executions of Ukrainian POWs.

The attack reportedly caused both fatalities and injuries, though Ukrainian sources did not provide specific figures.

None of the claims by either Russian or Ukrainian sources have been independently verified.