A powerful explosion at a power substation in the Belgorod region left half of the region bordering Ukraine without power, RIA Novosti reports, citing News.ru.

Russian media talk about an “accident” that killed most of the city of Belgorod and half of the region of the same name, and the electric company responsible for the substation announced an “emergency shutdown” and an investigation into the causes of the accident. explosion.

The explosion occurred overnight, and local authorities said they would restore power to the city as soon as possible, promising to do so by 10:00 a.m. To what extent this was achieved is still unclear.

A video published on social networks shows the explosion from afar:

Serial explosions in the Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine

The new deflagration came after local authorities on August 23 reported a massive explosion at an ammunition depot near the village of Tymonovo in the region bordering Ukraine, with Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov saying at the time that it was caused by the heat and the “magnifying glass effect”.

“As a result of the warm weather (the effect of the magnifying glass worked), ammunition spontaneously ignited in the area of ​​the village of Tymonovo, which firefighters have not yet managed to neutralize,” Gladkov reported on his page. Telegram channel.

According to him, the fire did not result in any casualties, but “in order to ensure the safety of residents, the head of the Valuy district organized transportation and accommodation of residents in the Krasna Polyana sanatorium.”

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine ridiculed the statements of the Russian governor, writing on Twitter that “in a few months we will find out whether Russian ammunition can explode due to the cold.”

“The five most common causes of outbreaks in Russia: winter, spring, summer, autumn and smog,” the post reads.

The blast came less than a week after two other villages in the region were evacuated after a massive fire broke out at another ammunition depot. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov then said that emergency workers are investigating the causes of the fire near the settlements of Tomonovo and Soloty.

Alleged Ukrainian attacks in Belgorod

Months before the Ukrainian armed forces received from the United States numerous HIMARS missile launchers, which they used to strike behind Russian rears, the Kyiv Air Force is believed to have carried out strikes in this Russian region, which was used to replenish the invasion army sent Vladimir Putin to Ukraine on February 24.

Unlike last month’s bombings in Crimea, which he just announced, Kyiv has refused to confirm or deny the attacks in Belgorod, which included a spectacular helicopter operation on an oil facility in the region.

Carried out on the night of March 30 to April 1, it is considered the first attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on the territory of Russia.

Last month, the Ukrainians also attacked the territory of this region on the border with Russia, destroying an observation post on August 15, which was probably used to monitor the actions of the Ukrainian armed forces.

Another video that appeared on social media late last month captured what is believed to be the first attack carried out by Ukrainians on Russian territory with an American-made weapon, the Switchblade drone.

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