Ukrainian helicopters strike an oil depot in Russia, an official there says.
Two low-flying Ukrainian helicopters crossed into Russian territory early Friday and fired on an oil depot in the city of Belgorod, a regional governor said — the first time Russia has reported a Ukrainian airstrike on its territory since the war began.
The strike was an embarrassment to Russia’s military, which said last week that Ukraine’s air force had been “practically destroyed.” Ukraine’s military had previously only managed to hit Russian territory with ground-launched missiles.
Belgorod, which has a population of about 400,000, sits less than 20 miles from the Ukrainian border. The region has been a staging ground in recent weeks for Russian troops entering eastern Ukraine.
The oil depot was set ablaze in the strike and two people were injured, according to the region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov.
@nytimes