Russian priests bless fire trucks as massive blaze continues after attack in Ukraine

 

Russian Orthodox priests have visited the scene of a large fire at a fuel depot, which continues to burn three days after it was started by a Ukrainian drone strike.

More than 500 firefighters are fighting a massive blaze at a Proletarsk oil depot in Russia’s southern Rostov region.

About 20 of the 74 storage tanks were on fire, local authorities told the RIA news agency.

On Wednesday, local Orthodox priests said prayers alongside fire trucks and brought an icon to the scene to support the firefighters’ efforts.

“THE [priests] spoke to the firefighters and blessed all the fire-fighting equipment,” the local eparchy of Volgodonsk, the equivalent of a diocese in the Russian Orthodox Church, told Reuters news agency.

They brought with them a large icon of the Unburnt Bush, considered a talisman against fire.

According to regional governor Vasily Golubev, air defenses shot down the Ukrainian drone on August 18, but its debris caused diesel fuel to ignite on the territory of the facility.

Authorities have declared a state of emergency, but the local city administration, quoted by Russian state media, said there was no risk of the fire spreading to residential areas and urged the population “not to give in to panic.”

Mr Golubev said 41 firefighters received medical treatment for the effects of the fire, five of whom were taken to the emergency room.

Ukraine has not commented on the attack, but its forces have targeted Russian oil infrastructure as part of efforts to counter Moscow’s full-scale invasion that began in February 2022.

Also on Wednesday, the Ukrainian military reported hitting an S-300 air defense system near the Russian city of Novoshakhtinsk in the Rostov region.

The attack was carried out by the Ukrainian Navy in cooperation with other units, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Facebook.

“The Ukrainian defense forces continue to weaken the air defense of the Russian invaders,” he said.

“It is worth noting that the Russian invaders also use S-300 systems for attacks on peaceful Ukrainian cities, destroying residential buildings and terrorizing the civilian population,” he added.

Drones over Moscow

Elsewhere in Russia, Moscow said its air defenses shot down 11 Ukrainian drones targeting the city overnight.

The city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said it was one of the most serious attacks on the Russian capital since the start of the conflict, but no damage or casualties were reported.

At the same time, Ukrainian defenses reported stopping 50 Russian drones and missiles.

“The enemy continues to attack our region with attack drones. The air strike lasted all night and into the morning for more than nine hours,” the Kiev military administration said on Telegram.

A private home was damaged by falling debris, while power lines were cut, he added.
On the ground, Ukraine continues to control a swath of territory in Russia’s western Kursk region, following a cross-border incursion that began on August 6.

This is the first time since World War II that Russian territory has been occupied by a foreign power.

In his video address on Wednesday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “our combat work continues” in the Kursk region.

“We are monitoring the designated areas,” he said without providing details.
In Russia’s neighboring Bryansk region, Governor Alexander Bogomaz said an attempted incursion by a Ukrainian reconnaissance group had been repelled on Wednesday.

This comes as Russian forces continue to push hard towards the town of Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

Ukrainian officials said earlier this week that the Russians were now about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the outskirts of Pokrovsk, a major logistics hub in the area. [BBC]

The post Russian Priests Bless Fire Trucks as Massive Fire Continues After Ukraine Attack appeared first on TheConclaveNg.