Supplies for the attack on Ukraine pass through the Russian city of Belgorod. But again and again there are reports of rocket hits. Now an oil depot catches fire.
An oil depot in the Russian border region of Belgorod caught fire after being bombed. "We're under fire again. One of the shells hit the oil depot in the Belgorod region," said local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. He blamed it on Ukraine's shelling.
The emergency services are on site, there is "no risk" that the fire will spread, it said. A photo released by the governor showed flames and plumes of black smoke billowing over a building. The state news agency Tass quoted a source from the emergency services, according to which the depot is located in the village of Razumnoye near the city of Belgorod.
Supplies for the Russian troops who are supposed to conquer the Donbass run through the big city. The Ukrainian city of Kharkiv is also frequently shelled from the Belgorod region. Last week Russia reported increased attacks in the border area with Ukraine. The Belgorod region was particularly affected.
On Friday, a power plant was hit in the region's capital of the same name, causing power outages. On Thursday, a rocket hit a residential building in Belgorod - but it could also have been the remains of a Russian anti-aircraft missile. On the same day, an ammunition depot in the region was destroyed. The electricity in the city of Schebekino had previously failed after Ukrainian attacks. A 74-year-old woman died and other townspeople were injured.
Recently, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba admitted that Ukraine was behind attacks on Belgorod. Comedians close to the Kremlin had elicited the explosive statements about Crimea and the warfare from him with a fake phone call. "If you ask me who is blowing something up in Crimea or Belgorod, I'll tell you privately, yes, we were," Kuleba said in the call, which was widely reported by Russian media.
