Oil depot on fire in Russian city near Ukraine border

A fire broke out on Monday at an oil depot in Bryansk, a large Russian city near the Ukraine border.

Oil depot on fire in Russian city near Ukraine border
Source: IANS

Moscow, April 25 (IANS) A fire broke out on Monday at an oil depot in Bryansk, a large Russian city near the Ukraine border.

The blaze occurred at a premises operated by Transneft-Druzhba JSC and at another location, officials told RIA Novosti.

No casualties have been reported and there is no threat to residential buildings, RT reported citing the Ministry of Emergency Situations as saying.

"The evacuation of the population is not planned. According to preliminary information, there were no victims," its press service stated.

Local residents have reported that explosions were heard and sirens are audible in social media videos, according to TASS News Agency.

Another fire was recorded in the Fokinsky district of the city, the causes of which have not yet been established, Moscow daily Kommersant has reported.

Bryansk is home to over 400,000 people, and is an important regional hub, RT reported.

An Interfax source revealed that a 10,000-tonne tank of diesel fuel was ignited.

State-owned Rossiya-24 TV has suggested that the second object that caught fire was a diesel fuel depot in a military unit.

Before Monday's incident, officials in Bryansk region had warned of a potential terrorist threat.

Similar fears were announced in parts of Voronezh and the entirety of the smaller Belgorod region, where Ukraine was accused of shelling an oil depot earlier this month.