Russian priests bless fire engines as Rostov oil depot blaze rages

Russian Orthodox monks have visited the scene of an enormous hearth at a gas depot, which continues to burn three days after being set alight in a Ukrainian drone assault.

More than 500 firefighters have been tackling the large blaze on the Proletarsk oil storage facility in Rostov area.

About 20 of 74 storage tanks have been on hearth, native authorities advised the RIA information company.

On Wednesday, native Orthodox monks mentioned prayers subsequent to the hearth engines and introduced an icon to the scene in assist of firefighters’ efforts.

“The [priests] spoke with the firefighters and blessed all the hearth tools,” the native Volgodonsk eparchy – the Russian Orthodox Church equal of a diocese – advised Reuters information company.

They introduced with them a big icon of the Unburnt Bush, thought-about a talisman in opposition to hearth.

According to regional governor Vasily Golubev, air defences shot down the Ukrainian drone on 18 August, however its particles precipitated diesel gas to ignite on the territory of the ability.

The authorities have declared a state of emergency, however the native metropolis administration, quoted by Russian state media, mentioned there was no risk of the hearth spreading to residential areas and referred to as on individuals “to not give in to panic”.

Mr Golubev mentioned 41 firefighters had acquired medical remedy for the results of the blaze, together with 5 who had been positioned in emergency care.

Ukraine has not commented on the strike – however its forces have been concentrating on Russia’s oil infrastructure as a part of their efforts to counter Moscow’s full-scale invasion, which started in February 2022.

Also on Wednesday, Ukrainian forces reported hanging an S-300 air defence system close to the Russian metropolis of Novoshakhtinsk in Rostov area.

The strike was carried out by the Ukrainian Navy in co-operation with different items, the overall workers of the Ukrainian armed forces mentioned on Facebook.

“Ukraine’s defence forces proceed to weaken Russian invaders’ air defence,” it mentioned.

“It is price noting that Russian invaders additionally use S-300 programs for strikes on peaceable Ukrainian cities, destroying residential buildings and terrorising civilian inhabitants,” it added.

Elsewhere on Russian soil, Moscow mentioned its air defences had shot down 11 Ukrainian drones concentrating on the town.

The metropolis’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, mentioned it was one of many largest assaults on the Russian capital because the battle began, however there have been no studies of injury or casualties.

At the identical time, Ukrainian defences reported stopping 50 Russian drones and missiles.

“The enemy continues to assault our area with strike drones. The air raid lasted all evening and into the morning for greater than 9 hours,” Kyiv’s navy administration mentioned on Telegram.

A personal home was broken by falling particles, whereas energy traces have been severed, it added.

On the bottom, Ukraine is constant to carry a swathe of territory in Russia’s Kursk area, following its cross-border incursion that started on 6 August.

It is the primary time that Russian territory has been occupied by a overseas energy since World War Two.

Meanwhile, Russian forces are urgent onerous in direction of the town of Pokrovsk in jap Ukraine.