Oil depot hit and on fire in Russia’s Belgorod: governor

An oil depot in Russia’s Belgorod region bordering Ukraine is on fire after being shelled on Saturday, the governor said, as strikes increases against the area.

“We’re getting bombed again. One of the shells hit the oil depot in the Belgorod region,” regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

He said emergency services were already on site, adding there was “no risk” of the fire spreading.

Gladkov posted a photo showing flames and plumes of black smoke rising above a building.

State-run news agency TASS cited a source in the emergency services saying the burning depot was located in the village of Razumnoye-71, near the city of Belgorod. 

Last week Russia complained of an increase in artillery and missile strikes on its territory bordering Ukraine.

The Belgorod region has regularly come under fire. 

The capital of the region, also called Belgorod, had been hit more rarely.

But on Friday a power station in the city was set on fire by a Ukrainian strike, causing electricity cuts. 

This came a day after a rocket gutted the top floor of an apartment building in the city of Belgorod, without causing injuries.

A munition depot in the region was also destroyed on Thursday. 

Earlier in the week, Ukrainian strikes knocked out power in the town of Shebekino, in the same region. A 74-year-old woman died and several others were wounded in the town.