A man swimming in the sea off
an Odesa beach in Ukraine has been blown up in front of his family by an
apparent mine.
Footage shared by Odesa Region
Police shows the sudden blast yards from the shore, scattering the
50-year-old’s body parts across the beach as his distressed wife, son and
friend watched on.
While it is not yet clear what
caused the explosion, swimming in the area is banned because of mines planted
amid the ongoing Russia war.
The video shows people running
on the beach towards the water when the explosion occurs, stopping them in
their tracks.
The man, who has not been
named, washed up on the shore as police arrived on the scene.
The victim’s friend had been
swimming with him at the time but was uninjured in the blast.
The Odesa Region Police said
in a statement on Saturday: ‘Police urge residents and guests of Odesa region
to strictly follow the rules of martial law: do not go to the coastal
protection zone of the Black Sea, do not swim in the mined sea.
‘Today, the neglect of safety
rules by a family from Donetsk region has led to tragic consequences. While
swimming in the sea in one of the villages of Odesa district, an explosion of
an unknown object killed a 50-year-old man in front of his wife, son and
friend. The latter miraculously did not suffer, because he went swimming with
the victim.
‘Now there is an investigative
task force of the territorial unit of police and explosives. Once again, a
strict ban on visiting the coast and swimming in the sea are security measures
that are life-threatening if neglected.’
Ukraine has accused Russia of
deliberately mining the Black Sea, while Kremlin forces say they were laid by
Kyiv.
