Russian Ka-52 Helicopter Bombs Own Oil Depot to Deny Wagner Fighters

• Footage appears to show an explosion at an oil depot in Voronezh after strikes by a Russian helicopter.
• It comes as Wagner fighters seized military facilities in the city, Russian sources told Reuters.
• On Saturday, Russian mercenaries began an armed rebellion in the city of Rostov-on-Don. 

Video footage circulating on social media appears to show a Russian attack helicopter attacking an oil depot as the Wagner group takes up positions in the Russian city as a part of a dramatic armed mutiny on Saturday. 

The clip appears to show a massive explosion at an oil depot in the city of Voronezh after a Russian Kamov Ka-52 “Alligator” helicopter targeted the area.

—Dmitri (@wartranslated) June 24, 2023

The footage has not been independently verified by Insider. 

Emergency services are working to put on the fire, with more than 100 firefighters and 30 units of equipment at the site, officials said, per Al Jazeera. 

Other unverified footage appears to show Russian air forces deflecting a Wagner group anti-aircraft missile system.

Local sources reported that the mercenary fighters had tried to seize the oil depot to supply their convoys with fuel, according to a report by Defense Blog. 

A Reuters witness also said Russian military helicopters had opened fire on a Wagner mercenary military convoy on the M4 highway just outside the city. 

This comes after Russian sources told Reuters that Wagner fighters had also seized military facilities in Voronezh as they advanced north from Rostov-on-Don — where Russian mercenaries fighters started their rebellion against Putin.

The group appears to be making their way farther north towards Moscow, the country’s capital city. 

The events mark a significant intensification of the feud between Yevegny Prigozhin, the Wagner Group chief, and Russian officials over fighting in the war in Ukraine. 

On Saturday, Putin called the actions of the Wagner group a “betrayal” and vowed the country would defend itself and punish those involved in the insurrection.