Russian media: Fire reported in St. Petersburg near power plant

A large fire broke out near a thermal power plant in Saint Petersburg, Russian media reported on March 12.

Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry published videos of firefighters battling the blaze, which it said was at a hangar and had not spread to other buildings. The ministry said that the fire had been extinguished as of 12:24 p.m. local time.

There was no immediate comment on the possible cause of the fire. The Russian news outlet Fontanka said that investigators were working to determine what may have started it.

A fire broke out at an oil refinery in the Russian city of Oryol, regional authorities reported earlier on March 12. Andrey Klychkov, the governor of Oryol Oblast, claimed that the fire was caused by a Ukrainian drone attack.

Kyiv often does not comment on alleged attacks on Russian soil.

Alleged Ukrainian drone attacks in Russia on March 12 were also reported in Nizhny Novgorod and Belgorod oblasts.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.

There have been multiple reports of oil depots catching fire or railways being sabotaged across Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russian anti-Kremlin militia break into Russia from Ukraine

The Freedom of Russia Legion and the Siberian Battalion crossed the border into Russia from Ukraine on March 12 to conduct combat operations, according to the Russian anti-Kremlin armed groups.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova