Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Russia’s accusations of the former mounting a helicopter attack on a fuel depot in Russian territory, saying “I do not discuss any of my orders”, Asian News International reported. 

He continued, “I’m sorry I do not discuss any of my orders as commander in chief, the leader of this state. There are things which I only share with military armed forces of Ukraine and when they talk with me”, adding, “You need to understand that on that territory that you mentioned they were placing their shooting systems and were firing missiles themselves”, as per ANI. 

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A fire broke out Friday, at Belgorod, a Russian city near Ukraine’s border. Russia blamed Ukraine for the airstrikes, saying it was caused by the war-torn country’s helicopters. 

Russia said Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopters executed this assault, with the UK defence ministry intelligence update noting that the attack would result in probable loss of fuel and ammunition for Russians, putting more pressure on their extended logistical chains. 

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This news comes after the recent talks between Russia and Ukraine, in Turkey, which showed promise, and both sides discussed Zelensky meeting his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Zelensky has been insisting on negotiating with his opposite, saying Ukraine’s joining NATO, the independence of Crimea and Donbas are all up for discussion. 

However, Putin’s response has been, reportedly, less than welcoming with The Times saying he told Russian oligarch and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich that Putin wished to “thrash” Ukraine’s peace offer. 

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Russia already stands accused of airstrikes in Ukraine, with an increasing focus on civilian targets since they haven’t made significant progress on the ground. The nation faces charges of committing war crimes, due to the dire situation in places like Mariupol, where Putin’s forces have targeted a maternity ward, a drama theatre, and an art school.