A man reportedly had his leg blown off and bled to death

At least one person has been killed in a car bombing in the Russian city of Sevastopol in Crimea, local officials have confirmed.

The powerful blast, which occurred in the western part of the city, was reported by several Russian media outlets on Wednesday morning. The Shot Telegram channel reported that the victim, a serviceman, was driving alone past a local supermarket, adding that he had had leg blown off and was promptly treated by the paramedics at the scene, but they were unable to save him.

Later, Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev confirmed the incident, saying that the blast and a fire were reported at around 10am local time, adding that the victim served in the military. He noted that the investigation is ongoing, stressing that “obviously sabotage cannot be ruled out.”

While Razvozhaev provided no further details on the victim, local media claimed that he was a serviceman in his forties. According to Baza, he was a captain 1st rank, equivalent to a colonel in the army, in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.