Despite Western fears of an increase in combat in east Ukraine, Moscow announced Monday that a shell fired from Ukraine had destroyed a border station used by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). “An unidentified missile fired from Ukraine entirely damaged a border facility utilized by the FSB border guard service in the Rostov region, roughly 150 meters from the Russian-Ukrainian border on February 21, at 9:50 a.m. (0650 GMT),” the security service said in a statement. No one was hurt in the incident, according to the statement, and Russian military engineers had arrived on the spot.
Video shows Ukrainian shell destroyed one-room building
The FSB published a video showing a small, one-room building with a collapsed roof and walls, as well as a Russian flag resting against dispersed debris. Since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula following historic mass uprisings in Kyiv, Ukraine has been fighting separatists with Moscow’s support. The violence has already claimed the lives of around 14,000 individuals.
In recent weeks, Kyiv’s Western allies have warned of a possible dramatic escalation in the conflict, with Russia massing an estimated 100,000 troops around Ukraine. They’ve also warned of staged strikes that Moscow and pro-Russian rebels could use as an excuse to attack Ukraine.
The FSB said the shelling occurred in the southern Rostov area, which declared a state of emergency last week due to an expected inflow of civilians fleeing rebel-controlled territories where leaders had issued evacuation orders.