Fire engulfs Russian ammunition depot near Ukraine

RT reported, a series of explosions shook Russian ammunition depot south of the city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border, two days after several villages in the same area were attacked.

The first powerful explosions were heard across the area at around 3:30 a.m. local time, with some reports suggesting that air defenses were activated. Some pictures and videos about the group on firefollowed by explosions, which quickly went viral on social media.

According to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, there have been no reports of casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure. Gladkov confirmed the incident happened at an ammunition depot near the village of Staraya Nelidovka, about 12km from the Ukrainian border.

The fire was extinguished at 6:30 a.m., but the exact cause of the incident is still unknown.

Since Russia began its military operation in Ukraine on February 24, many settlements in Belgorod have been attacked. On the night of April 25 alone, local authorities accused Ukraine of shelling at least three villages, including Zhuravlevka, Golovchino and Nekhoteevka.

Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that the attack on the village of Zhuravlevka left two people injured and houses destroyed.

Another attack on the village of Golovchino, about 10km from the Ukrainian border, on the same night of April 25 damaged at least four houses, but no casualties were reported.

The Russian Investigative Committee has also launched a criminal investigation into the attack on the village of Nekhoteevka, where several buildings and vehicles were damaged earlier on April 25. According to the Investigative Committee, the village was shelled from Ukrainian territory.

The local government did not elaborate on any other details of the incident. Earlier this month, Zhuravlevka, located 3km from the border with the Kharkov region of Ukraine, was attacked by the Ukrainian side.

On April 24, the authorities of another village, Otradnoye, reported the fall of an artillery shell, believed to have also been fired from Ukraine. There was no damage or injury, as the incident occurred away from residential buildings.

Russia conducts military operation in Ukraine in late February, after accusing Kiev of failing to implement the terms of the Minsk agreement, first signed in 2014 and eventually Moscow’s recognition of the self-proclaimed Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The Minsk agreement brokered by Germany and France was designed to give the breakaway regions special status in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has since demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country and will never join the military bloc. NATO led by the US. Kiev insists the Russian attack is completely unprovoked and rejects claims it is planning to retake the two republics in the Donbass by force.