Topline
A top Ukrainian security official has denied Ukraine was responsible for a helicopter attack on a fuel depot in the Russian city of Belgorod earlier on Friday, after Ukraine’s Foreign and Defense ministries neither denied nor confirmed Russia’s allegations that Ukraine carried out the attack.
A top Ukrainian security official has denied Ukraine was responsible for a helicopter attack on a … [+]
Key Facts
Ukraine’s Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said on national television that “for some reason” Russia was blaming Ukraine for the attack, but according to his information “this does not correspond to reality.”
Earlier, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defense Ministry Spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk neither confirmed nor denied Ukraine’s involvement, which if true would be the first Ukrainian airstrike on Russia’s territory since the Russian invasion began in February.
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov blamed Ukraine for the airstrike, and Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the incident could jeopardize peace talks with Ukraine, which resumed on Friday.
The oil depot is run by Russian oil firm Rosneft and is located around 21 miles north of Russia’s border with Ukraine.
Key Background
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the helicopters “entered the airspace of the Russian Federation at extremely low altitude” at 5 a.m. Moscow time and launched a missile attack on the facility, CNN reported. Reuters reported it verified security camera footage that showed an explosion on the ground following what appeared to be a missile fired at a low altitude. Rosneft said in a statement that no injuries resulted from the incident, Reuters reported.
Further Reading
Ukraine denies attacking fuel depot inside Russia (Reuters)
Ukrainian Helicopters Reportedly Strike Fuel Depot Over Border In Russia (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisakim/2022/04/01/ukraine-denies-attacking-fuel-depot-in-russia/