Russian fuel depot catches fire near key Crimea bridge

KYIV — A severe fire broke out Wednesday morning in Russia at a fuel depot near the critical bridge it uses to deliver weapons and soldiers to occupied Crimea — and from there into southern Ukraine.

“The fire has been assigned the highest level of severity. According to preliminary information, there are no victims,” Veniamin Kondratiev, Krasnodarsky regional governor, said in a Telegram statement. “Fire brigades, the ministry of emergency situations, and emergency services are on the scene. Everything possible is being done so that the fire does not spread further.”

The cause of the fire is unknown.

The incident occurred days after an apparent drone strike hit a fuel depot in Sevastopol, a Crimean port city used by the Russian navy.

Although Ukraine has not officially taken responsibility for the strike, Natalia Humeniuk, spokeswoman of Ukraine’s Army Command South, said the Sevastopol fire was a preparation for a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

“The fact that the enemy’s logistics are undermined is one of the elements of preparation for powerful active actions of the defense forces. The enemy feels that its resources are undermined and begins to maneuver,” Humeniuk on Ukrainian TV.