An inferno burns into the night sky in shocking footage taken at a major oil depot in Russia, which has been blamed on an attack by an Ukrainian attack helicopter.
The huge fireball was recorded at the site in border region Belgorod, with footage seeming to show missiles hitting the Freida industrial district of Belgorod city, causing a massive explosion, injuring two workers.
The oil plant is around 25 miles from the Ukrainian border and firefighters are attempting to put out the flames.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Belgorod region, claimed the depot was hit by a low altitude Ukrainian attack helicopter strike at around 5:50am local time, although there was no immediate confirmation.
He said: “There are casualties. Two people. They're employees of the oil depot. They've been given first aid and their lives are not in danger.
“We are starting to resettle the residents of Pochtovaya, Makarenko and Konstantin Zaslonov streets to a safer location.”
Two days earlier Russia claimed Ukrainian forces had dropped a missile on a munitions depot some 12 miles from the border, also in Belgorod region.
Six missiles hit the facility in Krasny Oktyabr with four soldiers wounded, according to Russian sources.
If the attacks on Russian territory are confirmed as Ukraine, it would mark a significant escalation in the war, and a change of tactics from Kyiv.
Until now, hostilities have been limited mainly to Ukrainian territory.
On the earlier attack, Gladkov claimed: “Six cases of shells ... were registered. The most important thing is that there are no victims.”
Meanwhile British military intelligence claim Ukrainian forces have retaken the villages of Sloboda and Lukashivka to the south of Chernihiv and located along main supply routes between the city and Kyiv.
The Ministry of Defence said in its latest update: “Ukraine has also continued to make successful but limited counter attacks to the east and north east of Kyiv.
Chernihiv and Kyiv have been subjected to continued air and missile strikes despite Russian claims of reducing activity in these areas, the ministry added.
It comes as Britain's top military officer claimed Vladimir Putin has already lost the war and is weaker than he was a month ago.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said: “I think we will have to look and explore and understand what the events in Ukraine mean and what impact does that have on the Integrated Review, and I think that’s perfectly fair.
"I think it would be insane not to.”
