Sunday, June 7, 2015

Ukrainian Border Guard Gunboat Explodes Off Coast of Mariupol

A border patrol vessel belonging to the Ukrainian Security Service has blown up in the Sea of Azov off the coast of Mariupol; the country's Border Security Service has reported two injuries and heavy damage to the vessel.

A border patrol vessel belonging to the Ukrainian Security Service has blown up in the Sea of Azov off the coast of Mariupol; the country's Border Security Service has reported two injuries and heavy damage to the vessel.

The press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has reported that the UMC-1000 patrol boat, with 7 crew on board, exploded at 2:20 pm local time, four kilometers off the coast of the Donetsk region city of Mariupol, during a coastal patrol mission.

The Ministry's press service stated that the vessel ran into an explosive device.
 
At present it is believed that two boarder guard personnel have been injured by the blast. Ukrainian authorities have yet to report on the condition of the other five crewmen. Earlier, local media reported four injuries, three of moderate severity and one with light injuries. 
 
Two more coast guard boats were sent to rescue the personnel, stranded at sea as the gunboat listed heavily. Mariupol-based news portal 0629.com.ua has reported that the boat is no longer visible from the shore, and may have sunk.

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