Despite rumors that the attack might’ve been a false-flag operation to legitimize Moscow’s violent assault on Ukraine, a Russian official accuses Ukraine of attacking an oil station in the border state of Belgorod on Friday.
The details
As per Reuters, Russia’s local administrator Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that two Ukrainian aircraft ignited the fire at the plant, wounding two employees.
When questioned about who was behind the explosives on Friday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he could “neither confirm nor deny the assertion that Ukraine was engaged in this.”
Kuleba claimed that he doesn’t “have all the military secrets.”
According to Reuters, Ukraine’s Defence Department claimed it is undertaking defensive actions and cannot be held liable for “any calamity on Russian soil.”
According to a German journalist, Ukraine’s Military Command of the Armed Forces denied knowing about the strike and said it was a Russian false-flag exercise.
Impressive video of fire at the Belgorod fuel depot caused by Ukranian helicopter strikes this morning. pic.twitter.com/ENJtwnn628
— Leonid Ragozin (@leonidragozin) April 1, 2022
According to Reuters, footage from the event apparently shows missiles being fired from a low height, prior to an explosion.
Independent verification of the footage was not possible. Following the initial explosion, an eyewitness in the Russian border state informed Reuters that another bomb was heard.
According to Reuters, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed of the incidents. They “cannot be seen as establishing suitable conditions for resuming” peace talks with Ukraine, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Peace negotiations between both two sides were resumed via video link on Friday.
United Nations’ head nuclear inspector will visit Chernobyl
The Atomic Energy Agency’s supervisor, Rafael Mariano Grossi, announced on Friday he will lead a “help and supporting expedition to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant as quickly as feasible.”
In a statement, he added, “It would be the first in a succession of such nuclear safety and protection trips to Ukraine.”
Grossi also claimed, on Friday, he was not informed of why Russian personnel left Chernobyl by officials from the Russian nuclear and international ministries.
“The radioactive condition all-around plant is fairly regular,” Grossi said.
“Because of the mobility of larger trucks during the plant’s takeover, there was a higher level of concentrated radioactivity, and this appears to have been the case once more on the route out.”
Fuel depot in Belgorod (Russia) on fire – looks like Ukrainian choppers, probably crossed the border somewhere near Kharkov & flew at very low height – still a terrible air defense failure pic.twitter.com/rpZ75rUyZM
— Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) April 1, 2022
Russian forces received “high doses” of radiation while digging holes in the exclusion zone all-around plant, according to Ukraine’s state power utility.
Grossi, on the other hand, stated, “we don’t have any proof” that the soldiers were poisoned.
The civilian cost
Women and children have been suffering when they spoke, according to Ukrainian cabinet ministers who came to Washington, D.C. last week to beg for additional aid in the battle.
They said they need more than “beautiful speeches.”
Ukrainian Lawmaker Yevheniia Kravchuk told Fox News, “We can’t only have words and pleasant speeches. We must demonstrate that democracy, freedom of choice, and human rights are important.”
