One dead in blast at Ukraine army recruitment center: Police

An explosion at a Ukrainian army recruitment center in the western city of Rivne on Saturday killed one person and wounded six, police said.

Authorities did not say what caused the explosion or reveal details on the casualties.

The center handles and maintains military records and is responsible for drafting men into the army as the country battles Russia’s nearly three-year-old invasion.

“The explosion occurred at 16:15 (1415 GMT) today… one person was killed and six others were wounded,” Ukraine’s national police said on Telegram.

There was no air alert over Rivne at the time, according to the regional governor’s Telegram channel.

Attacks on recruiting authorities are rare, but have taken place in Ukraine and Russia as tensions run high over efforts to mobilize men for the war.

Earlier on Saturday, a man with a hunting rifle shot dead a Ukrainian army recruitment soldier and escaped with a conscript before both were caught by police, according to authorities.