Sochi airport drill sparks confusion amid Ukraine-Russia tensions
News of the fire at the airport emerged on Wednesday, but footage of the event only started circulating in the media recently. A video by a local resident suggests that a plane might be on fire.
Fire at Sochi airport
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations and the airport have reiterated that "the fire was planned".
"Dear passengers and guests of Sochi! The smoke you see from the airport stems from a training exercise carried out by the airport's rescue services in collaboration with the city's Ministry of Emergency Situations. The fire was a planned component of these firefighting drills," reported the airport's press service.
Was the airport attacked?
Telegram channels linked to the Ukrainian military, however, allege that the airport was targeted in an attack.
Russian authorities have consistently denied claims that sites within the nation have been hit. For instance, in response to allegations of Crimea being shelled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian officials spoke of "grass fires" or "planned exercises." Similar explanations were given when Ukrainian drones were reported to have reached strategic locations within Russia.
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