This is a scary new development in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as president Volodymyr Zelensky still hadn’t decided to directly attack Russian territory.
All that changed on Friday morning when two Ukrainian helicopters entered Belgorod’s airspace in order to conduct a direct attack. Images started taking over the internet as the missile strikes hit one of the biggest oil depots in the country.
After the strike, up to eight fuel tanks started burning uncontrollably and created another environmental disaster in the area. Another 16 fuel tanks remain in danger while the fires are not controlled. The Russian government still hasn’t responded to this attack, which has the entire world pending from a thread.
Video of the two Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopters striking the oil storage facility in Belgorod with rockets. https://t.co/4Lt5l1Xc3S pic.twitter.com/d5zj4GWjou
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) April 1, 2022
There are also images of two Mi-24 helicopters that perpetrated the attack in the early hours of Friday. With a total of three strikes, the retaliation amid all the destruction carried in Ukraine was completed.
This is the first time president Zelensky makes the direct decision to invade Russia’s airspace deliberately to carry out an attack. It is also a direct response to the increase in attacks on the Donbass region that Russia has been carrying out for the last 24 hours.
Specific operations in Luhansk and Donetsk have been constant in this time. Zelensky had enough and decided to attack.
⚡️⚡️⚡️Local authorities blame the fire at an oil depot in #Belgorod on an air strike by the #Ukrainian Armed Forces. pic.twitter.com/uRFbIGIuRn
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 1, 2022
How can Vladimir Putin respond to this attack?
This is pretty much a direct provocation to a man who has been erratic in his behavior over the last year. If Putin takes further offense to what just happened, Russia might very well amp up their own missile attacks on the Ukrainian population.
The entire world is watching as the story keeps developing throughout the weekend. Hopefully this doesn’t escalate even more than it already has in the region. But knowing Putin, he might already be planning how to retaliate after this attack.
An oil depot is on fire in #Belgorod, #Russia.
"The emergency services went to the place of fire, measures are being taken to eliminate it", said Gladkov, the governor of the region in his Telegram channel. pic.twitter.com/ey7rC5ChSz
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 1, 2022
