Russian oil depot on fire after Ukrainian strike: governor

MOSCOW (AFP) : A fire raged at an oil depot on Friday in the Russian region of Bryansk bordering Ukraine following a drone strike, the regional governor said.

Alexander Bogomaz said the Ukrainian drone was “neutralised” but it dropped “dropped a munition” as it was intercepted, which struck an oil depot at Klintsy, a town of some 60,000 habitants located about 70 kilometres (about 45 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

He said there were no victims but that a blaze erupted at the depot and 13 fire trucks had been deployed to battle the flames.

The Russian defence ministry said the drone had been “destroyed” and a Ukrainian attack “foiled”.

But a local rail operator said a train, specially equipped to deal with large fires. had arrived in the town to help battle the blaze.

“The fire will not affect rail traffic in Klintsy,” they said on Telegram.

On Thursday, Uraine claimed responsibility for a drone attack in the northern Leningrad region bordering Finland and located nearly 1,000 kilometres from the border.

The territory is home to Russia’s second city of Saint Petersburg that has up to now rarely seen such attacks.