Balakliia

Balakliia or Balakleya (Ukrainian: Балаклія, Russian: Бaлaклeя, translit. Balakleya) is a city in Kharkiv Oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Balakliyskyi Raion (district), and is an important railroad junction in the oblast. Population: 27,249 (2020 est.)[2]

Balakliia

Балаклія
Main Street of Balakliia
Coat of arms
Map of Ukraine with Balakliia highlighted
Balakliia
Location of Balakliia
Coordinates: 49°27′57″N 36°52′04″E
Country Ukraine
OblastKharkiv Oblast
RaionKharkivskyi Raion
Founded1663[1]
Area
 • Total35 km2 (14 sq mi)
Elevation
79 m (259 ft)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total27,249
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
64200

2017 explosions

On 23 March 2017, 20,000 inhabitants of Balakliia were evacuated after a series of massive explosions erupted at a nearby arms depot of the Balakliya military installation, which stockpiles missile and artillery ammunition.[3] The disaster led to one civilian woman killed and five others injured (with no casualties among the military).[4][5] Thousands of residents within a 10 km radius around the complex were evacuated in the aftermath. By the end of March, the fires and resulting arms explosions at the ammunition depot in Balakliia had damaged almost 250 buildings. [6] On 18 April (2017) the city and nearby villages where declared cleared from unexploded ordnance.[7]

On 3 May 2018 ignition of dry grass lead to a new series of explosions at the depot.[8] But this time without military or civilian casualties; but 1,500 locals were evacuated.[8]

  • Balakliia city sign
  • Balakliia Ambulance in front of local hospital
  • City hall
  • Palace of Culture
  • Balakliia Lyceum
  • Children's playground

References
  1. Балаклея // Украинская Советская Энциклопедия. том 1. Киев, «Украинская Советская энциклопедия», 1978. стр.339
  2. "Чисельність наявного населення України (Actual population of Ukraine)" (PDF) (in Ukrainian). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  3. Ukraine munitions blasts prompt mass evacuations, BBC News (23 March 2017)
  4. "NATO envoys arrive in Balaklia to assist in humanitarian demining". UNIAN. 25 March 2017.
  5. "One dead after blasts at eastern Ukraine arms depot". Yahoo News. 25 March 2017.
  6. https://lenta.ru/news/2017/04/06/balakleya/
  7. Balaklia, nearby villages cleared from unexploded ordnance after March 23 accident, UNIAN (18 April 2017)
  8. Ammo depot explosions in Kharkiv region's Balaklia stop on Thursday afternoon, UNIAN (3 May 2018)
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