Ukraine attacks oil storage depot in Russian border region, governor says

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(Reuters) -The governor of Russia’s southern Belgorod region said on Sunday Ukrainian forces attacked a fuel depot, triggering a series of fires after Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of launching overnight attacks on border regions.

“The Ukrainian military, aided by lethal drones, attacked a fuel storage site in Volokonovsky district,” Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram, referring to an area near the border.

“Several reservoirs caught fire in an explosion. Firefighting crews are putting out the blaze.”

Gladkov also reported drone attacks on three other localities. There were no casualties reported in the incidents.

In the overnight air attacks, Ukrainian officials said two people died and four were injured in Sumy region. Gladkov reported three civilians were injured in Belgorod.

Two children were among those injured in Sumy, the military administration of the northeastern Ukrainian region said on Sunday on Telegram. Several homes and cars were damaged.

In Belgorod region, three civilians, including two children, were injured. Gladkov said two residential buildings were destroyed and more than 15 buildings in total were damaged.

The Russian defence ministry said it had destroyed one drone over Belgorod region and another over Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a cross-border incursion last month. It said two drones were intercepted over Belgorod overnight.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Border regions on both sides have been subject to frequent attacks. Both Moscow and Kyiv deny targeting civilians, saying the attacks are aimed at destroying each other’s infrastructure critical to war efforts.

Thousands of civilians have died in the war, which Russia started with a full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022. Millions of Ukrainians have also been displaced, while their cities and villages have become piles of rubble

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Sonali Paul, Ron Popeski and Chizu Nomiyama)