Security building on fire in Russia’s Rostov-on-Don

BBC News:

At least one person has been killed and two injured in a fire at a building used by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, Russian media say.

Dramatic footage posted on social media shows a large blaze engulfing parts of the building, with smoke visible all over the city.

Emergency services said there was an explosion before the fire.

The street where the building is located has been cordoned off.

Initial reports suggested that the blaze had occurred at a building belonging to the FSB’s regional border patrol section.

The FSB is Russia’s internal security service and is responsible for counter-intelligence, border security and counter-terrorism.

However, the RIA news agency said quoting emergency services that the area on fire was a two-storey building used for garages and storage.

Rostov-on-Don is the capital of a southern Russian region bordering on the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, currently the scene of intense fighting in the war.

There have been a spate of arson attacks on government buildings in Russia, such as enlistment and conscription offices since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.