Askume, Sept 8 – The governor of Russia’s southern Belgorod region said on Sunday that Ukrainian troops attacked an oil depot, causing a fire. Earlier, Moscow and Kiev accused each other of carrying out overnight attacks in the border areas.
“Ukrainian troops with the help of lethal drones attacked a fuel storage site in the Volkonovsky area,” Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote in the cable. This is an area near the border.
“The explosion caused several reservoirs to catch fire. Firefighters are working to extinguish the fire.”
Gradkov also reported drone strikes on three other areas. There were no reports of casualties from these incidents.
Ukrainian officials said two people were killed and four others injured in air strikes overnight in the Sumy region. Gradkov said three civilians were injured in Belgorod.
The military junta in northeastern Ukraine said on Telegram on Sunday that two children were among the injured in Sumy. Several houses and cars were damaged.
Three civilians, including two children, were injured in the Belgorod region. Gradkov said two houses were destroyed and more than 15 buildings were damaged in total.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it destroyed a drone in the Belgorod region and another in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a cross-border incursion last month. Two drones were reportedly intercepted over Belgorod at night.
Askume could not independently confirm the reports.
The two sides have been subject to frequent attacks in the border areas. Both Moscow and Kiev have denied targeting civilians and said the attacks were aimed at destroying each other’s infrastructure vital to the war effort.
The war was triggered by Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which left thousands of civilians dead. Millions of Ukrainians were also displaced, their towns and villages reduced to rubble.
