Fire erupted at a storage facility covering about 800 square meters in Voronezh, Russia, with official sources from the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergencies for the Voronezh Region confirming the incident. The blaze consumed a reservoir of five thousand cubic meters, turning it to ashes, and involved an aviation kerosene installation within the same area. Operational reports indicate there were no casualties. The fire was brought under control and extinguished by 00:40 Moscow time, according to the release from authorities.
Emergency responders described the firefighting effort as involving 97 personnel and 31 units of equipment. The situation prompted officials to confirm the occurrence of a fire at the oil depot in Voronezh, as reported by local authorities. The response highlighted the rapid mobilization of resources to prevent broader damage to nearby infrastructure and to protect workers at the site.
In parallel, a political and security dimension emerged around the same period. On the evening of June 23, statements from Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Private Military Company, alleged that Russian Defense Ministry forces had attacked his mercenary units housed in rear camps. He asserted that his fighters were advancing toward Moscow in what he described as a march for justice. The Defense Ministry rejected these accusations, and the Prosecutor General’s Office subsequently filed a lawsuit against Prigozhin for organizing an armed riot.
By the morning of June 24, Wagner forces reportedly moved to seal administrative buildings in Rostov-on-Don, while President Vladimir Putin began to travel toward the capital. Putin characterized Prigozhin and his leadership as having delivered a stab in the back, warning them of the consequences of their actions. Support for the Kremlin stance came from the State Duma, the Federation Council, and several regional leaders, including deployment of Chechen forces from Akhmadov’s faction to Rostov to assist with security and order.
Later that evening, a briefing from the press service of the Belarusian president indicated that discussions between Alexander Lukashenko and Prigozhin were underway. The parties reportedly reached an arrangement described as an acceptable solution that would ensure the safety of the fighters affiliated with Wagner. Prigozhin, in a statement on the situation, said that he had chosen to halt the advance and redirect forces back toward field camps, signaling a temporary de-escalation of the most acute tensions.