Two electricity pylons between mainland Ukraine, Crimea blown up, power supply partly halted

14:31, 20.11.2015 1 min read

Unidentified persons have blown up two transmission pylons supplying electricity from Kherson region's Henichesk and Chaplynsky districts to Crimea, Kherson Region State Administration's operations desk has reported.

"A rescue team, a bomb disposal squad and the police have set out for the scene to investigate the incident," the source said.

The site of the explosion, which happened at about 09:00 on Friday, is being treated as a crime scene and has been cordoned off.

Kherson region governor Andriy Pytilov will call an urgent meeting with regional power distribution company Khersonoblenergo, the State Emergency Situations Service, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the local police department.

According to power supplier Ukrenergo, two of the four main power transmission lines to Crimea were disabled as a result of the explosion.

Crimean Tatar leaders and public activists who are staging an ongoing blockade of Russian-occupied Crimea, and have called for electricity transmission to be blocked, have denied any involvement in the incident.