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Fake reports of nuclear explosion in Kyiv circulate after huge midnight explosion shakes capital

The Russian assault took a deadly turn after a massive bomb blast rocked Kyiv and 'made the Earth shake' near the Ukrainian Defense Ministry

We are now a week into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and it appears Russian President Vladimir Putin is getting increasingly furious. The valiant Ukrainian defense has forced the Russian leader to resort to deadlier weapons, even while he threatens the use of the deadliest of them all - nuclear bombs. On March 3, 2022, a huge blast that was compared to "a small nuke" detonated in capital city Kyiv, during Russia's latest areal bombardment. 

There are already reports that Putin has used thermobaric or vacuum bombs in his war, which is reportedly a violation of international conventions. His brutal assault of Ukraine has led to the opening of an investigation by the International Criminal Court for possible war crimes. Furthermore, the west appears enraged by Putin's blatant attack on civilian structures like kindergartens, universities, residential blocks, and shops. 

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The indiscriminate firing has forced the United Nations to widely condemn Russia's invasion in a General Assembly resolution. Notably, 35 states abstained and five voted against, indicating Putin still has allies around the world. Given that the resolution is not legally binding, it's unlikely to deter Putin much, which clearly appears to be the case.

Massive explosion rocks Kyiv

Around 2:00 am local time on March 3, air raid sirens went off in Kyiv and just minutes later, the city was hit by yet another bombardment. One of those bombs reportedly landed near Ukraine's Defense Ministry, causing a massive explosion to rock the sky. It was compared to a small nuke, given that it lit up the night sky and caused a shockwave that was felt all over the city. One witness told Reuters the explosion made "the Earth shake". 

It's unclear as of now what the extent of the damage is, and more concerningly, how many people have been injured or killed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the explosion, but could not confirm the damage. It appears that the bomb was one of two that was launched at the Defense Ministry, but the second one was shot down. The Daily Mail reported that the remnants of the second bomb fell near Kyiv's southern main rail station, which is next to the Defense Ministry. 

As a result, the station building suffered "minor damage", but hasn't impacted operations. The station is a key exit point for refugees looking to flee Kyiv. It's unclear if anyone was injured or killed in the station blast. Videos of the bomb blast have since gone viral, showing just how large the explosion was. 

It's highly unlikely that the bomb was nuclear, but Putin has proven to be a man no one can trust, so it remains to be seen exactly what was used to hit the city. It's more likely that the explosion was caused by the bomb hitting oil/gas infrastructure, which Russians have been targeting ever since the beginning of their invasion. Either that, or the bomb hit a store for bullets and bombs, which is also possible given that it fell near the Defense Ministry. 

Here are more videos as uploaded on Twitter showing the blast light up Kyiv's night sky. "Big blast and then massive fire on the horizon to the south of Kyiv," tweeted ABC's Moscow reporter. Another Ukrainian on the ground tweeted, "New: Massive blast in #Ukraine capitol Kyiv /Kiev Russians may have entered main city."