According to Russian information, the Ukrainian armed forces would have carried out an air strike on an oil storage facility in Russia from two helicopters on Friday. After the attack, a fire broke out in the warehouse in the city of Belgorod, the region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, told the Telegram news channel. A large fire was also seen on video. Belgorod is not far from the Ukrainian border. There were no casualties, Gladkow said.
No denials from Ukraine
It was the first Ukrainian attack on Russian territory that Russia accused Ukraine of – and Ukraine did not deny it. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry simply declined to comment, saying it cannot be held responsible for “all catastrophes on Russian territory”. Both sides continued to negotiate a ceasefire, the details were not known.
Residents are safe. The situation is stable. Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed of the attack, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Interfax news agency. The attack does not create good conditions for negotiations between Moscow and Kiev to end the fighting.