4 minutes agoUkraine denies attack on fuel deposits within Russia
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)Russia on Friday accused Ukraine of conducting an air strike against a fuel depot located in the Russian town of Belgorod. Kremlin said the incident could affect peace talks. But a senior Ukrainian security official dismissed claims that this attack could have been carried out by Kiev. Russian ministry [...]
The Russian Defence Ministry said two Ukrainian helicopters hit the facility in Belgorod after entering Russia at an extremely low altitude of about 5am at Moscow hour. Deposit is located about 35 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
But a senior security official in Ukraine dismissed the charges. This is the first charge of an air strike allegedly carried out by Ukraine since Moscow launched its attack on this country on 24 February. Belgorod is one of Russia's main logistical centers for war.
“They say it was us who did this, but according to our information it doesn't match reality”, Security Council Secretary Olexey Danilov told Ukrainian national television.
Earlier, Ukraine's defence ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said he could neither confirm it nor deny Ukraine's involvement in such an incident.
“Ukraina is currently conducting a defence operation against Russian aggression on its territory, and that does not mean Ukraine is responsible for any disaster on Russia's territory”, he added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was informed of the incident. He said the attack could jeopardise peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev, Voa reports.
“Of course this cannot be seen as creating the right conditions for continuing negotiations”, said Mr. Peskov, adding that it was doing everything to prevent disruptions in the city's fuel supply.
The images of the storage security cameras, verified by Reuters, showed a rapid light of a flying object that seemed to be a rocket launched from a low altitude, followed by an explosion on the ground.
Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the fire caused by the crackdown injured two workers and forced the evacuation of some local residents. The fire was later brought under control, he said.
Russian oil firm Rosneft ROSN. MM, which owns the fuel depot, said in a separate statement that no one was hurt by fire. The Russian Defence Ministry said the facility was exclusively for civilian use.
