Ukraine ‘takes out key Russian oil depot’ in latest sign that tables have turned

An enormous fireball erupted on the storage plant shortly earlier than 6am native time (Photos: Getty / AP)

Moscow has accused two Ukrainian army helicopters of attacking a gas storage depot within the Russian metropolis of Belgorod.

It's the first accusation of a Ukrainian airstrike on Russian soil since Moscow invaded its neighbour in late February.

An enormous fireball erupted on the storage plant within the Freida industrial district of Belgorod shortly earlier than 6am native time.

Footage of the alleged assault seems to indicate a number of missiles being fired from low altitude leading to an enormous blast that sends flames and smoke into the air.

The movies haven't been independently verified.

Firefighters have been seen making an attempt to sort out the blaze which is round 25 miles from the Ukrainian border.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod area has claimed the depot was hit by a low altitude Ukrainian helicopter strike with the ensuing blaze injuring two individuals.

‘There are casualties. Two individuals. They’re workers of the oil depot. They’ve been given first help and their lives usually are not in peril,’ he mentioned.

‘We're beginning to resettle the residents of Pochtovaya, Makarenko and Konstantin Zaslonov streets to a safer location.’

Belgorod is round 25 miles from the border with Ukraine (Image: Metro Graphics)

Firefighters have been making an attempt to extinguish the blaze on the gas depot (Image: Russian Emergencies Ministry/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)

Russian authorities have mentioned two individuals have been injured within the blast (Image: Twitter/@sail_deep)

Nonetheless, Russian oil agency Rosneft, which owns the depot, mentioned in a separate assertion that nobody was harm within the hearth, although it gave no info on the trigger.

Ukraine’s defence ministry has not responded or commented on the incident.

The explosion in Belgorod comes amid Western claims that Russia goals to stage ‘false flag’ assaults as a justification for persevering with the warfare in Ukraine.

Two days earlier Russia claimed Ukrainian forces had dropped a missile on a munitions depot some 12 miles from the border, additionally in Belgorod area.

Six missiles hit the power in Krasny Oktyabr with 4 troopers wounded, in line with Russian sources.

On the time, Gladkov mentioned authorities had been ready for the Russian defence ministry to ascertain its trigger.

If the assaults on Russian territory are confirmed as Ukraine, it could mark a major escalation within the warfare, and a change of techniques from Kyiv.

Till now, hostilities have been restricted primarily to Ukrainian territory.

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