Blast rocks area near Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, say Russian separatists

A big explosion rocked an area near the besieged Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk on Saturday and a large orange-coloured cloud could be seen rising into the air, a Russian-backed representative said.

A big explosion rocked an area near the besieged Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk on Saturday and a large orange-coloured cloud could be seen rising into the air, a Russian-backed representative said. Rodion Miroshnik, an official in the self-styled separatist administration of the Luhansk People's Republic, posted a video of what he said was the cloud on the Telegram messaging app.

Miroshnik said he could not tell whether the blast had occurred in the city or near it. Sievierodonetsk - which Russian troops have been shelling for weeks - is home to the Azot chemical plant, where hundreds of civilians are sheltering.