Russia blames Ukraine for fuel depot blast; Kyiv denies role

By The Associated Press

A fiery explosion at a Russian fuel depot brought accusations from Moscow that Ukraine had attacked the facility, but the secretary of Ukraine’s national security council denied any involvement. There was no independent confirmation of details about the incident around dawn Friday in the Russian city of Belgorod, near the Ukrainian border. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said two Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopters had entered Russian airspace “at an extremely low altitude” and attacked the civilian oil storage facility. Regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said two workers at the depot were injured, but Russian media quoted the state oil company as saying no one was hurt. Russia has reported earlier attacks from Ukraine, although none has been independently confirmed.