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Fire at Ukraine ammunition depot sparks mass evacuation

SHOTLIST:

CHELINE.COM.UA HANDOUT - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Ichnya - 9 October 2018

++NIGHT SHOTS++

1. Wide of blasts at ammunition depot

2. Tracking shot of fire on skyline

DEFENCE MINISTRY HANDOUT - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Kiev - 9 October 2018

3. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Rodion Tymoshenko, Major General of Ukrainian Armed Forces:

"The Security Service of Ukraine is checking different explanations for what happened. One possibility is sabotage. At this time an operative team from the military HQ which questioned duty officers found that four explosions happened. So, four explosions of ammunition in four different places. This resulted in the fire. For the moment there is heavy smoke in the military storage area, it's very difficult to make an observation. I can say that about 10 percent of the storage facility is burning."

GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE HANDOUT - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Ichnya - 9 October 2018

4. Ukraine Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman attending meeting at operational headquarters

5. Groysman talking

6. Man in military uniform indicating point on map

7. Close of map with circle indicating area affected by the explosions and subsequent fire

8. Pan of civilians gathered at a school

9. Two women

10. Woman examining list of evacuated people

11. Close of list

12. People walking with Groysman

13. Groysman talking to people as he walks

14. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Volodymyr Groysman, Prime Minister of Ukraine:

"Our main task is to protect human lives and health. Rescue services with the police and local authorities have created an operational headquarters. A year ago I gave an order to carry out training exercises at all military storage facilities and they took place here as well. This gave us an opportunity to improve coordination. Unfortunately these (explosions) have already happened."

15. People and vehicles on street

16. Various of two women on back of tractor with suitcase

17. Pan from suitcases to people in tractor

18. Wide of people on street surrounding Groysman

STORYLINE:

Ukrainian officials say that a fire at an ammunition depot in Ukraine has forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 people.

There were no reported injuries.

The Emergencies Ministry said the blaze at the warehouse near Ichnya in the eastern Chernihiv region erupted early on Tuesday.

The ministry said the depot contained about 88,000 metric tons of munitions, but military officials claimed that half of them had been previously moved to other locations.

The authorities blocked highways and a railroad in the area and suspended flights in the vicinity of the depot.

Ukraine Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman met with officials at an operational headquarters set up in Ichnya.

"Our main task is to protect human lives and health," he said.

The blaze was the latest in a series of devastating fires at Ukraine's military arsenals in recent years.

Some officials alleged sabotage amid the tug-of-war with Russia, but others blamed them on negligence and disrespect for safety rules.