A powerful explosion rocked the area near St. Petersburg: black smoke rose over the city
A powerful explosion rocked the Leningrad Oblast of the Russian Federation on the morning of September 1, followed by a fire. A thick plume of black smoke was visible even from St. Petersburg.
Eyewitnesses reported that a fire broke out after the explosion. The exact cause of the incident is currently unknown.
According to local residents, the explosion and fire were reported near the “Melnitsa” shopping center in Koltushi, not far from St. Petersburg. Emergency services are on the scene, and the circumstances of the incident are being investigated. There are no reports of casualties at this time.
The incident occurred amid a massive drone attack on the Leningrad Region. This morning, the occupying forces claimed that their air defense systems were operational and had shot down dozens of drones, and also reported damage at the port of Ust-Luga. However, this area of the aggressor country’s territory is not currently under attack, so the cause of the powerful explosion remains unknown.
Nevertheless, the column of black smoke is so large that it is visible even in St. Petersburg, although the explosion occurred outside the city limits. There is currently no confirmation that the fire near Koltushiv is directly linked to a drone attack. The causes of the explosion and fire are under investigation.
This is being reported by Russian propaganda media.
Earlier, Russia attacked a facility in Novhorod-Siverskyi.
As a reminder, a massive attack on the Kyiv region has left one person dead and eight wounded.
Russia also launched a massive missile attack on Kyiv overnight, resulting in fatalities.
