A fire has broken out at an oil depot in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar following a Ukrainian drone attack on Wednesday, according to Russian authorities.
The regional coordination staff said falling debris triggered the fire, which has spread to 1,700 square metres. More than 220 people are said to be involved in fighting the blaze.
Russia’s Defence Ministry accused Kiev of a provocation, claiming the attack was intended to undermine the peace initiative proposed by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
During a phone call on Tuesday, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed that Russia would halt strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities for 30 days, provided Ukraine did the same.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that while Moscow is honouring the agreement, Ukraine is not.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country supports the proposal but needs more details. He noted that the information released after the call does not specify when the suspension of airstrikes on energy infrastructure is set to begin.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed it immediately ceased attacks on Ukrainian energy targets following Putin’s order. It also reported that all seven drones already en route to such targets were shot down by Russian forces.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported casualties and injuries from overnight Russian airstrikes, including severe damage to a hospital.