Authorities have announced a state of emergency as a huge cloud of smoke has risen over the Kirzhach district

Massive explosions have been reported on Tuesday near the town of Kirzhach in Russia's Vladimir Region, some 75 km from northeast of Moscow. The cause of the blasts has yet to be confirmed, but local authorities have announced a state of emergency in the district and blocked the roads leading to the area.

t around 3:30 pm, residents of nearby villages reported a series of powerful explosions and began posting videos of a huge cloud of smoke rising towards the sky which could be seen from over a dozen kilometers away.

Russia's Defense Ministry has since confirmed that the blast occurred at a munitions depot. In 2022 several Russian servicemen were killed in an accidental detonation at a military facility in the same region near the village of Barsovo.

Vladimir Region governor Alexander Avdeev also confirmed the blast on his official Telegram channel and announced that "the relevant services are working at the scene."

Russian news outlets have also reported that emergency services have begun the evacuation of residents from Barsovo and the village of Mirny, which are located near the epicenter of the explosion.

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