A Russian fuel depot not far from the Ukrainian border exploded today and Russian officials say Ukrainian forces used helicopters to attack the facility.
When asked on Friday who was behind the explosions, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he could “neither confirm nor reject the claim that Ukraine was involved simply because I don’t does not have all the military information”.
Firefighters work at the site of a fire at an oil depot in Belgorod region, Russia.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said it was carrying out defensive operations and could not be held responsible for “all disasters on Russian territory”, Reuters reported.
A German journalist also claimed that the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces denied knowledge of the attack and suggested that it could have been a Russian false flag operation.
Alleged footage of the incident showed what appeared to be missiles fired at low altitude before an explosion, Reuters reports.
The images could not be independently verified.
A witness in the Russian border town later told Reuters another explosion was heard after the initial blast. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the events and they ‘cannot be perceived as creating comfortable conditions for the continuation’ of peace talks with Ukraine , Reuters also reported.
Peace talks between the two sides resumed today Friday via video link.
