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

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Russian media: Fire reported in St. Petersburg near power plant
People walk along the city streets against the backdrop of the Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Jan. 14, 2024. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Artem Priakhin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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.
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By infiltrating Ukrainian positions in small infantry groups, Russia has accumulated around 200 troops within Pokrovsk, the General Staff reported. These personnel are engaging in "intense" small arms and drone clashes with Ukrainian troops in the city.

While Ukraine also lacks Western-supplied weapons, soldiers and commanders say shortages of basics — cars, drones and people — make holding back Russia extremely difficult. Even as Kyiv seeks U.S. approval for Tomahawks, they say critical, rudimentary gear is the more pressing need.

Russia faces an increase in the arson and “spontaneous combustion” of electrical panels, railway relay cabinets, and other infrastructure helping Moscow wage its war against Ukraine over the past week, a source at Ukraine’s military intelligence told the Kyiv Independent.

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