Video Shows Sparks, Blasts as Fire Engulfs Military Base in Southern Russia

A fire has broken out at a Russian military facility, according to videos posted on social media.

In clips posted online, a fire can be seen raging at a Russian defense ministry facility near the city of Kotluban in the Volgograd Oblast in southern Russia, approximately 585 miles from the capital city Moscow. In one video posted to X, formerly Twitter, by Ukrainian journalist Maria Dutska, blasts can be heard from a distance while a plume of smoke billows into the air from a substantial fire.

Regional governor Andrey Bocharov told UKRInform, a Ukraine-aligned news website: "The fire was quickly contained and then put out by local firefighters with the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Ministry of Defense." He also confirmed there were no casualties or damage to civilian objects, and clarified that "the circumstances of the blaze are being investigated."

The outlet also reported that the fire broke out in the arms depot just after midnight local time and lasted around four hours. Russian opposition outlet Mediazona reported that the fire broke out at around 1:00a.m.

According to a post by Baza news agency Telegram channel, residents reported "that before the fire started on the territory of the military unit, they heard a sound characteristic of a flying drone. After this there was an explosion."

There has been no official confirmation so far that the cause of the fire is related to drone activity in the area. However, Ukrinform has reported the Russian Ministry of Defense as saying two Ukrainian drones "were destroyed over the territory of Briansk region and three more UAVs were intercepted over the Black Sea just off the Crimea coast." It is unclear at this time if these drones are related to the fire. Newsweek has contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense for clarification via email.

Ukrinform also reported an emergency services source as saying: "There were no casualties among the civilian population, there was no destruction of the village's infrastructure, and no evacuation was required."

However, a report by Russian website V1.Ru said 36 people were evacuated from the area to a local kindergarten, where beds were set up and tea and warm blankets were provided. They were later transported to hotels, the outlet said. Newsweek is unable to verify which one of these reports is correct at this time.

Witness and Volgograd resident Denis Erofeev told V1.Ru: "We have a military training ground nearby, and when exercises take place there, the whole village thunders. Usually we always hear if something is blown up there. This time at night, at about 2 a.m., I went out onto the balcony and heard a loud sound, as if something had exploded right behind my house."

Russia has reported several drone attacks in recent months, which it accuses Ukraine of being behind. As of September 2023, BBC Verify has reported more than 190 suspected drone attacks on Russian territory. Military infrastructure and associated sites are often the target of such alleged attacks.

Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for any drone attacks in Russia or its occupied territories, though Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said any such attacks would be an "inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process."