Ukraine allocates 3.7 mln USD for ammunition depot disaster relief

The Ukrainian government said on Wednesday it has allocated 3.7 million U.S. dollars to support the relief works in eastern Kharkov region affected by explosions at an ammunition depot.

The money, which was earmarked from the reserve fund of the state budget, will be used to finance the clean-up activities around the depot and the repair of the buildings damaged by the blasts, said a statement on the government website.

According to the government, the rescue teams have recovered 1,762 items of unexploded ordnance that were scattered in the 10-km radius around the ammunition warehouse due to the blasts.

The explosions started at artillery storage sites at the military base near the town of Balakleya on March 23, triggering a massive fire and the subsequent detonation of the ammunition.

The fire at the base, which contains about 138,000 tons of ammunition, had been extinguished, but sporadic blasts of the shells and mines scattered around the ammunition depot still happen.

According to the Ministry of the Regional Development, more than 250 private and public buildings have been either damaged or destroyed by the explosions.

The Ukrainian authorities are investigating whether negligence or sabotage was behind the blasts. Endit