NAGORNY, Samara region, June 20 (Itar-Tass) - Explosions have intensified in the area of the much-troubled Volga testing range in the Samara region, an Itar-Tass reporter said in a dispatch from the spot.

While the explosions in the vicinity of the range would be heard at a rate of one per every 20 to 30 seconds morning, now they are being heard virtually every second and sometimes it looks like several shells explode at a time.

A spokesman for the Ministry for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense /EMERCOM/ said what is happening now is a self-destruction of munitions kept in the depots at the range.

The aircraft that discharged water on the testing range Thursday morning are not performing the missions right now.