Ukraine said Sunday a blast triggered by “local resistance movements” in the Moscow-controlled Ukrainian city of Melitopol the previous day killed Russian military officers at a headquarters of the occupation authorities.

Melitopol, with a pre-war population of around 150,000 people, was captured early after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year and now lies some dozens of miles behind the frontline further north.

“At least three officers of the Russian guard were eliminated” as a result of the “revenge action, carried out by representatives of the local resistance movement,” the intelligence service of Ukraine’s defence ministry said on Telegram.

AFP was not able to independently confirm the claims.

“The attack on the headquarters was carried out during the meeting of the (Russian security service) FSB and (Russian National Guard) Rosgvardia,” the same source added.

Melitopol is in Zaporizhzhia, one of the four regions — along with Donetsk, Lugansk, and Kherson — that Russia claims to have annexed without fully controlling them.

The exiled mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov on Saturday evening said residents reported an “explosion, which was heard in all corners of the city” and police cars speeding through the city.

Several Russian-linked officials have been killed in attacks in territories controlled by Moscow’s forces since the invasion began.

As the boom of firecrackers filled the air across the country celebrating Deepavali with gusto, seven villages in Erode district of Tamil Nadu decided to mark the festival with just lights, and no sound, in a gesture considerate of the winged inhabitants of the bird sanctuary nearby.

The villages are located around Vadamugam Vellode, 10 kilometres from Erode where the bird sanctuary is situated.

Thousands of local bird species and migratory birds from other regions visit the sanctuary between October and January to lay eggs and hatch them.

As Diwali usually falls in the month of October or November, the more than 900 families living around the bird sanctuary took the decision to save the birds and not scare them off by bursting crackers.

They have been following this conservation approach for the past 22 years.

The villagers said that during Deepavali (Diwali), they buy their children new clothes and allow them to only burn sparklers, and not burst crackers.

This year as well, the villages of Sellappampalayam, Vadamugam Vellode, Semmandampalayam, Karukkankattu Valasu, Pungampadi and two other villages upheld the respectful tradition of a silent Deepavali.

As the families joyfully celebrated Deepavali in their own way, thousands of birds remained safe and blissfully unaware at the sanctuary, with no incident reported on Saturday and Sunday.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said that senior Congress leader Kamal Nath is an “outsider” for the state and can’t be trusted. Mr Chouhan was addressing a rally in the Berasia assembly seat of Bhopal district.

The CM said that the opposition Congress would create confusion and make false promises and cautioned people not to make “mistakes”.

“They will not fulfil their promises as they have nothing to do with the people. Anyway, Kamal Nath Bhaiya is not from Madhya Pradesh. We were born here. Where was he (Nath) born, tell me,” he asked.

Modifying a line from a popular Hindi song, he sang, “Ye to thahre pardeshi, sath kya nibhayenge” (he is a stranger, won’t stay with us).” Mr Chouhan said Mr Nath, the state Congress chief, can’t be trusted.

He said that when Mr Nath was the chief minister, he would rue about a shortage of money for developmental works.

“I am saying that there is no shortage of money with me for developmental works,” Mr Chouhan said, assuring people that he would carry out all works.

Mr Chouhan also addressed rallies in the Khurai assembly seat of Sagar district, Sarangpur of Rajgarh district, and Kukshi in Dhar district to canvass for BJP candidates.