Russia has accused Ukrainian helicopters of attacking an oil facility inside Russia after flying 25 miles undetected across the order, amid claims the Kremlin could stage a ‘false flag’ attack to justify an escalation of the war.
Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said two of Ukraine’s military helicopters struck a fuel storage facility inside the Russian city of Belgorod on Friday with S-8 rockets after crossing at low altitude in what would be the first airstrike on Russian soil since WW2.
The resulting blaze injured two workers at the spot run by energy giant Rosneft.
Video shared on social media appeared to show the attack occurring at 5.43 am local time, followed by helicopters flying away from the blaze, although analysts have noted Russia uses the same model of helicopters as Ukraine.
Ukraine’s government has yet to confirm the attack, but last week an exiled Russian politician claimed the Kremlin is plotting a wave of attacks on its own cities in a false flag operation led by the FSB that it will blame on Ukraine to justify an intensification of its invasion.
Ilya Ponomarev, 46, said the Russian security service is preparing to target its own chemical and weapons factories in attacks that could see civilians die.
It comes as Putin’s forces are continually embarrassed by Ukrainian resistance. Ukraine is making gains within its own borders, recapturing the two strategic villages of Sloboda and Lukashivka on the main supply route.
Meanwhile, intelligence officials said demoralised Russian soldiers are refusing to carry out orders and are sabotaging their equipment and had accidentally shot down their own aircraft.
Officials have concluded that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the war is going because they are afraid to tell him the truth.