KYIV: Russia says Ukrainian helicopters attacked an oil depot on its territory in Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border.
This is the first reported strike by a manned aircraft by Ukraine on Russian soil; this is also the first time Russia has reported an airstrike on its territory since the Korean War in the 1950s.
The site was attacked by Mi-24 helicopter gunships; video footage shows helicopters flying away from the burning site.
Belgorod is 80 km from the Ukrainian city Kharkiv, which has been pounded by Russian forces since Moscow sent troops on February 24. The city has served as a logistics hub for Russian troops fighting in nearby eastern Ukraine. It is home to 369,000 people.
Security camera footage of the depot showed a flash of light from what appeared to be a rocket fired from a low altitude in the sky, followed by an explosion on the ground.
Ukraine has refused to deny attacking the oil facility. There were initial fears it was a red herring and Russia had staged attacks within its own territory to justify an escalation of conflict as an excuse to walk out of peace talks.
The strike has come even as Ukraine is recouping and making gains within its own borders, wresting two strategic villages on a main supply route; meanwhile, Putin is continuing to send units back to Belarus and to the Donbas where he is now concentrating his war effort.
