The captured images show flames and a huge column of black smoke.
According to witnesses, the fire broke out on Topolinaya Street, in the northern part of the city. After the impact, traffic on this street was blocked. Social media users speculated that a fuel tank or “something more serious” might have caught fire. In the comments, people also noted that there used to be a gas station at that location.
Read more The centuries-old oak was burning
The Ukrainian monitoring channel “Exilenova+” indicated that flammable and lubricating materials caught fire in Mariupol, probably after a drone attack.
Military observer Jan Matveev also believes that a fuel depot might have caught fire in the city, “judging by the smoke.”
Petro Andriushchenko, head of the Ukrainian Occupation Research Center, wrote on his Telegram channel that Mariupol was attacked by drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces: “Our drones are flying over the city. Central district, towards the exit to Nikolsk.”
Read more UN condemns intensifying Israel’s military attacks in Gaza
According to him, Russian soldiers tried to shoot down the drones, firing machine guns. P. Andriushchenko indicated that the result of the attack was the destruction of a gasoline tank and more.
“Firefighters are already rushing from all districts of the city,” he wrote.
The authors of the “Supernova” channel also claim that drones hit a truck. So far, representatives of the Russian occupation authorities have not officially commented on the strike on Mariupol.
