An apparent partisan attack killed a police chief in the captured Ukrainian city of Melitopol who defected to Russia after the city was seized.

Oleksandr Mishchenko was killed when an improvised explosive exploded at the entryway to his apartment building.

Recently, there have been allegations of increased Ukrainian partisan activity in the region.

The dead officer, according to Melitopol’s exiled mayor, was a traitor.

The city is located in Zaporizhzhia province, one of four territories that Russia claimed to have annexed following its invasion last year, although only controlling a portion of them.

Melitopol, after Mariupol, is the largest city on Russian-occupied territory since February 2022.

The explosion occurred at 05:20 local time (02:20 GMT), according to Russia’s Interior Ministry.

It was also stated that two police officers were hurt and hospitalized, but one of them later died.

A video of the incident shows a crater close to the apartment complex and cars with smashed windows nearby.