Fires break out at Russian oil depots near border with Ukraine

Two oil storage facilities in the Russian city of Bryansk caught fire Monday morning, multiple outlets have reported per Russian state media and social media footage.
The first blaze broke out at a civilian facility carrying 10,000 tons of fuel, followed by a second at a separate depot with 5,000 tons, per The Guardian. Bryansk, which is situated less than 100 miles from the border with Ukraine, acts as a logistics base for Moscow in the ongoing war.
Russia has since reported zero casualties, and said it would begin investigating the cause of the outbreak, Reuters reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Though there is speculation online that the fires were the result of a Ukrainian missile strike, there was no "immediate indication" that one or both of the fires were related to Ukraine, Reuters writes.
"It sounds like something is flying through the air before the explosion," military analyst Rob Lee told The Guardian, referencing the footage circulating on social media. "I think it was probably a Ukrainian attack, but we cannot be certain."
If it was the Ukrainians, Lee estimates the attack to have been an attempt at disrupting Russian military fuel supplies.
There has been no immediate comment on the incident from Ukraine.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Last week, Russian officials claimed Ukrainian helicopters had attacked residential buildings and injured seven individuals in the Bryansk region. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the alleged incident at the time, per Reuters.
The fires also occurred hours after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashion
In the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Sudoku medium: September 13, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
The mission to demine Ukraine
The Explainer An estimated quarter of the nation – an area the size of England – is contaminated with landmines and unexploded shells from the war
-
Ottawa Treaty: why are Russia's neighbours leaving anti-landmine agreement?
Today's Big Question Ukraine to follow Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as Nato looks to build a new ‘Iron Curtain' of millions of landmines
-
How drone warfare works
The Explainer From Ukraine to Iran, it has become clear that unmanned aircraft are rapidly revolutionising modern warfare
-
How far would Russia go for Iran?
Today's Big Question US air strikes represent an 'embarrassment, provocation and opportunity' all rolled into one for Vladimir Putin
-
Are the UK and Russia already at war?
Today's Big Question Moscow has long been on a 'menacing' war footing with London, says leading UK defence adviser
-
Is UK's new defence plan transformational or too little, too late?
Today's Big Question Labour's 10-year strategy 'an exercise in tightly bounded ambition' already 'overshadowed by a row over money'
-
How will the MoD's new cyber command unit work?
Today's Big Question Defence secretary outlines plans to combat 'intensifying' threat of cyberattacks from hostile states such as Russia
-
What are the different types of nuclear weapons?
The Explainer Speculation mounts that post-war taboo on nuclear weapons could soon be shattered by use of 'battlefield' missiles