By The Moscow Times | Created at 2025-01-13 09:45:19 | Updated at 2025-01-13 16:56:43
7 hours ago
Firefighters have extinguished a blaze at an oil depot in the southern Saratov region, nearly a week after Ukraine claimed responsibility for a drone strike targeting the facility, local authorities said Monday.
The city of Engels declared a state of emergency following the attack on Wednesday, with Ukrainian officials later saying the strike hit a depot supplying fuel to the Russian air force. Two firefighters died last week while battling the flames.
Engels, located around 500 kilometers (310 miles) east of the Ukrainian border, is home to the Engels-2 air base, which houses Russia’s Tu-95 and Tu-160 nuclear-capable strategic bombers.
Saratov region Governor Roman Busargin announced on Telegram Monday that the fire had been fully extinguished overnight.
“Active flames at the industrial enterprise in Engels were put out,” he wrote, adding that cleanup and containment efforts were ongoing.
Over the weekend, Busargin reported that the fire was 80% contained as firefighters conducted a controlled burn of remaining fuel. However, he did not provide details on the extent of the damage caused by the five-day blaze.
While some residents have complained of heavy smoke in the area, Busargin insisted that air quality remained safe despite the prolonged fire.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
