Multiple explosions rock Belgorod, drones strike oil depot in Kuban, Russia
On the night of May 9, several explosions rang out in Belgorod, Russia, and fires broke out in the city. It is suspected that the cause was shelling. Before this incident, the region had been under air alert due to a potential missile threat. Russia also complains about the drone attack on the Kuban oil base.
The governor of the Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov, Russian media and local publications report that.
Belgorod
Therefore, according to the head of the region, the air raid siren was sounded in Belgorod and the surrounding area at 00:54, 03:12, and 04:00 (local time), as stated.
Additionally, videos depicting explosions, smoke, fires, and destroyed vehicles in Belgorod were shared on the internet.
According to Russian Telegram channels, a house on Slovianskaya Street was reportedly damaged by a strike. There are also reports of cars being destroyed by fire, specifically on Kharkovskaya Gora and Gubkina Street.
However, what exactly attacked the city needs to be specified.
The governor later announced that eight people had been injured due to the shelling.
"The city of Belgorod and the Belgorod district were subjected to an air attack by Ukraine's armed forces. There are direct hits on residential apartment buildings and cars," he wrote on Telegram.
The Russian official also said that the roofs of 4 private residential houses were damaged in the village of Dubovoye in the Belgorod district.
"Three cars were also damaged. Information about the consequences of the air attack is being clarified," Gladkov said.
In addition, the governor published a photo with the consequences of the shelling.
Drone attack on an oil depot in the Kuban
On the night of May 9, in the Krasnodar region of Russia, there was an explosion at a local oil depot believed to be caused by a drone attack.
Reports from Mash Telegram channels and the Cheka-OGPU state that the targeted depot is located in the village of Yurovka in Kuban.
Additionally, it should be mentioned that video footage of the suspected attack on the base using a drone or multiple drones was posted online. In the video, one can hear the distinct sound of a drone's motor, followed by an intense explosion and a bright flash in the dark sky.
Warning: strong language!
The propagandists claimed that allegedly six Ukrainian drones "attempted to attack" the oil depot later on, but the electronic warfare system "forced them to land." Despite this, a few UAVs crashed into the reservoirs in Yurovka village, causing a fire at the base, according to reports from the Anapa Unified duty dispatch service.
The headquarters added that 62 firefighters and 20 equipment work at the site. According to preliminary information, there are no victims.
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It should be noted that in the Belgorod region, where Russian troops have constantly been launching attacks on Ukrainian territory, including the city of Kharkiv, there have been ongoing explosions and fires. Local authorities have been reporting "drone attacks" and shelling, placing the blame on Ukraine.
Furthermore, there has been an increase in the number of Russian military aircraft dropping bombs in this particular Russian region, mainly when carrying out bombing missions over populated areas in Ukraine. According to Russian media, these occurrences are due to the unintentional loss of FAB and KAB bombs by Russian aviation, resulting in their falling onto the territory of the Russian region.
For instance, on May 4, an explosion in Belgorod occurred during the Russian strikes on Kharkiv. The governor of the Belgorod region, Gladkov, stated that the blast injured five people and damaged 30 private homes and ten cars.
Additionally, it's worth mentioning that this is not the first instance of explosions and fires happening at oil refineries and depots in the Krasnodar region of Russia. Local officials often attribute these incidents to drone attacks.
For instance, on April 27, there was a drone attack on the Krasnodar territory, resulting in hits and a fire at the Sloviansk ECO oil refinery near Sloviansk-on-Kuban.
