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Six servicemen killed in explosion near Pskov

The blast happened after training exercise
Archive photo ITAR-TASS/ Valery Bushukhin
Archive photo ITAR-TASS/ Valery Bushukhin

MOSCOW, October 22 (Itar-Tass) - Six Russian paratroopers were killed in an explosion of an unidentified object at a firing range in Pskov region, northwestern Russia, Commander of the Russian Airborne Troops General Vladimir Shimanov told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.

The tragedy happened at 7:00pm in pitch-black conditions, when paratroopers were returning from the final frontier of the “Strugi Krasnye” firing range after qualification firing. Shamanov said that according to the preliminary report filed by the commander of the 76th air assault division, Colonel Alexey Naumtz, the explosion claimed lives of five cadets of the Ryazan paratrooper school and a warrant officer.

“The report on this accident will be immediately submitted to the President of the Russian Federation; according to the orders of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, a commander of the Airborne Troops with a team of officers is en route from Moscow to conduct an investigation,” he said.