Assistant to 'deputy prime minister' of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region injured in car explosion
A car carrying an assistant to the "deputy prime minister" of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, Vladimir Epifanov, exploded in Simferopol, reports the news outlet Baza. The explosion occurred on the Yevpatoria highway at 4am local time. The official and two other passengers suffered severe burns.
According to Baza, a gas cylinder exploded in the car which was driven by Epifanov. There were also two more people in the car - the secretary and Epivanov’s security guard. All three received severe burns to the head, torso and arms and were hospitalized.
What exactly caused the explosion is still unclear. According to the assistant to the Deputy Prime Minister, the day before the explosion, the gas cylinder was checked at a service station in Simferopol.
In August, Russian and Ukrainian media reported that the Russian-appointed "deputy head" of the Novokakhovka administration for housing and communal services, Vitaly Gura, died while being transported to a hospital in Crimea after an assassination attempt was made on him. However, more than a month later, Channel One showed a story that Gura was alive. His murder was allegedly staged by the Russian FSB "in order to ensue his safety."