Belgorod Governor claims ammunition depot in the region set on fire by Ukrainian forces

On Wednesday morning, a series of explosions were heard in the Russian city of Belgorod, which is close to the Ukrainian border. An ammunition depot in the area was set on fire by the explosion. The authorities are looking into the situation as the cause of the explosions remains unknown. The governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov shared a message on Telegram stating that at 3:35 am, he woke up by a loud explosion-like sound. He further claimed that three more explosions occurred while he was drafting the message.

Gladkov noted in a follow-up post that an ammunition depot caught fire near the village of Staraya Nelidovka. He also claimed that there is no destruction of residential buildings and houses and that there were no casualties among the civilian population. The governor also stated that the open burning of the fire near was eventually put out. Ukraine has not acknowledged or denied responsibility for any attack.

Blasts were previously recorded in Belgorod earlier this month

The province of Belgorod borders the Ukrainian districts of Luhansk, Sumy and Kharkiv, which have all seen heavy conflict since Russia invaded Ukraine two months ago. Explosions were previously recorded in Belgorod earlier this month, when two Ukrainian military helicopters attacked a fuel storage facility, injuring two workers, according to Russia.

In the meantime, residents of Voronezh, which is more than 160 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, reported two explosions overnight in the city's southwest, according to Daily Mail. Explosions were also reportedly heard near Kursk, which is around 96 kilometres miles from the border, with videos showing flames glowing against a gloomy sky. Unconfirmed sources said that drones were shot down over Oboyan, a village south of Kursk.

The intensity of the attacks has enraged Russian officials

Russia has seen many attacks in the areas near the Ukrainian border recently, with the city of Belgorod has been hit the hardest, with missile attacks and a helicopter raid aimed at fuel and weapons depots. Belgorod serves as a major staging area for Russian forces preparing to join the conflict in Ukraine's Donbas region and the intensity of the attacks in the area has enraged Russian officials, who have threatened to intensify attacks in Ukraine, according to Daily Mail.

Image: @gladkov1969/Instgram/ AP