MOSCOW, May 30 — Two people were injured following an explosion in the Moscow-controlled city of Melitopol in south-eastern Ukraine, local pro-Kremlin authorities said today, pinning the blame on Kyiv.

Russian troops took control of the city in the Zaporizhzhia region in the early days of Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine but were met with fierce resistance from residents.

"This morning there was a terrorist attack aimed at destabilising the peaceful life of the city,” Melitopol’s Russia-installed authorities said on Telegram.

According to the statement, a car packed with explosives exploded in the city centre, injuring two "humanitarian aid” volunteers, a 28-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man.

"The Ukrainian government continues its war on the civilian population and the infrastructure of cities,” the statement said, adding that an investigation was underway.

Clouds of black smoke were visible in the city this morning. The blast shook the windows and walls of nearby buildings, Vladimir Rogov, a Russia-appointed official in Melitopol, said on Telegram.

Some reports suggested that the blast took place near the area where the Russia-installed head of the Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, lives.

Last week, the Moscow-appointed mayor of Enerhodar, another city in the Zaporizhzhia region under Russian control, was injured in an explosion. — AFP