A massive fire raged overnight into the morning and daytime hours at a Russian oil storage facility and logistics hub on Monday in the city of Bryansk, which lies a mere 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Widely circulating social media footage is fueling speculation that the fire could have been the result of either a Ukrainian missile strike, or perhaps covert sabotage - in addition to the possibility of yet another strange 'accident' - the third such mystery blaze in as many days. As we detailed earlier, many commentators noted the timing, which corresponded with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meeting face-to-face with President Zelensky in Kiev.
#BREAKING: Large explosions reported at a large Russian military base in Bryansk, Russia amidst reported strikes by Ukrainian forces.
— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) April 25, 2022
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Reported strikes follow visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. pic.twitter.com/AhDKb9WAIZ
Stretching back a bit further into last week, regional media notes of the string of fires at sensitive facilities, "The Bryansk fire is the fourth fire in a short time since fires at Russia's industrial and development infrastructure sites in Tver, Korolyov and Kineshma last week."
Friday had seen a facility belonging to Russia's secretive Central Research and Development Institute of Aerospace Defense Troops in Tver go up in flames - with at least seven people reported killed - and then hours later the Dmitrievsky Chemical Plant was scene of a huge blaze from unknown causes.
As for Monday's incident, Russian emergency response authorities have since...