Several loud explosions were heard on Friday night in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which has been under Russian control for almost a year, and an adviser to the Ukrainian mayor outside the city claimed that the explosions occurred at a Moscow military base, News.ro reported from link to CNN.

Petro Andryushchenko, who is not in Mariupol, reported on Telegram that this is a base that houses about 150 Russian soldiers and is used mainly for air defense support.

The Mariupol City Council, an institution that is currently also located outside the occupied territory, supported Andryushchenko’s statement. “Residents of Mariupol heard three loud explosions,” Ukrrad reported on Telegram. According to preliminary information, the explosion occurred at a Russian base at the city’s airport, the council said, releasing a short video showing flames and smoke billowing in the distance.

“Judging by the images, if the information is confirmed, the enemy should have suffered significant losses,” the Council commented.

CNN says it cannot independently verify the claims of Ukrainian officials, and the local administration, installed by Russia, has not yet commented on the explosions or their cause.

According to NEXTA, Russian propagandists claim that four rockets hit the airport area, but there are no casualties.

A local group calling itself Mariupol Resistance reported that the explosion occurred on the outskirts of the city. On its Telegram channel, the group also posted what appears to be a video shot by residents showing the air defenses in action.

Mariupol has become an important base for Russian forces in southern Ukraine, and Russian military convoys often pass through the area.

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