Russian media has reported that a fire fire broke out at a building belonging to Russia’s Defense Ministry in the center of Moscow on Wednesday evening. TASS news agency was the first to report it, citing emergency services.
Widely circulating videos appear to confirm the report, though at this point the fire looks relatively small, coming from an office or offices inside the building. There are reports that it’s an office on the fifth floor or above.
It’s as yet unclear what the cause is – whether accidental or possibly a drone or sabotage incident.
In January, amid increasingly bold drone strike operations on Russian soil launched from Ukraine, the Russian military erected surface-to-air Pantsir batteries on some Moscow buildings, including the top of the defense ministry building.
The Drive reported at that time, “The official reason for the apparent deployments is unclear, but Ukrainian forces have demonstrated their ability to conduct strikes at extended ranges using various types of drones. There could be other explanations, including this just being part of an ostensible exercise of some kind.”
While alarming given the prospects for severe escalation, it’s anything but clear what the cause of this current fire is at this early stage.
