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Ukraine munitions blasts prompt mass evacuations | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Some 20,000 people are being evacuated after a series of explosions at a massive arms depot in eastern Ukraine described by officials as sabotage. | |
The base in Balakliya, near Kharkiv, is around 100km (60 miles) from fighting against Russian-backed separatists. | |
The dump is used to store thousands of tonnes of ammunition including missiles and artillery weapons. | |
Rescue teams are overseeing a huge evacuation effort for people living in the city and nearby villages. | |
The total area of the dump spans more than 350 hectares, the military says. | |
Munitions from the depot are used to supply military units in the conflict zone, reports say. | |
There was an earlier attempt to set the facility on fire in December 2015. |