Explosions rock Russia-occupied Mariupol and Berdyansk
Explosions were reported in the Russia-occupied cities of Mariupol and Berdyansk on the morning of July 16, the city mayor’s advisor, Petro Andriushchenko, confirmed on his Telegram channel on July 16.
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Earlier in the morning, he also reported explosions in the occupied cities of Luhansk and Sevastopol.
Andriushchenko said that it could be the result of enemy air defense systems being activated.
“There has been an extremely high level of enemy air defense system activity along the Rozivka (Zaporizhzhya Oblast) – Nikolske – Manhush – Mariupol line (all three in Donetsk Oblast),” said the mayor’s advisor.
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Andriushchenko had reported explosions in Berdyansk earlier, stating, “Has the Bavovna Sunday begun?... We need to be patient. Something is happening, and it’s something quite pleasant.”
The Ukrainian word “bavovna” (translated as “cotton” in English) is a war-related meme used to describe a loud explosion occurring far behind the frontline. It originated from a pun on two Russian words “khlopOk” (the last syllable is stressed,meaning an “explosion”) and “khlOpok” (the first syllable is stressed, meaning “cotton”) wrongly translated by Russians into Ukrainian.
Earlier, it was revealed that a series of explosions occurred in the occupied city of Luhansk, believed to be the result of incoming fire on enemy targets.
Ukraine’s defense forces confirmed on Facebook on July 16 they had struck a missile weapons depot in the temporarily occupied town of Katerinivka (former Yuvileine, renamed in 2016) in Luhansk Oblast. No other details were disclosed. Journalists from Donbas.Realii, also known as Donbas. Realities (a regional news outlet of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service) geolocated the place of the strike. This is a plot outside the city, to the southwest of the Pivdenny Quarter. Presumably, the target is a warehouse – a former workshop of a coal mine used by the Russian army as a hangar for the repair and storage of heavy equipment.
During the early morning hours on July 16, explosions were also heard in the occupied city of Sevastopol. The occupying authorities claimed that the city had been attacked by nine drones of various types, including two underwater drones.
The Russian Ministry of Defense asserted that all the drones had been downed “successfully.”
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