Fire at security building in Russia’s Rostov-on-Don

At least one person was killed and two injured in a fire at the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) building in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, Russian media reported.

Dramatic footage on social media shows a massive fire, with smoke visible across the city.

The governor of Rostov-on-Don said a short circuit was believed to have caused a fuel tank to catch fire.

Streets with buildings are off limits.

The fire broke out in a building belonging to the FSB’s regional border protection department in the inner city area.

The FSB is Russia’s internal security agency, responsible for counterintelligence, border security, and counterterrorism.

Rostov province governor Vasily Golubev said the fire had spread over more than 800 square meters and two walls had collapsed.

In a statement, the FSB’s press office said the fire started around 12:30 local time (09:30 GMT). He also confirmed a fatality, but did not provide further details.

Russian media reported that authorities had successfully extinguished the fire by 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT).

The city is the capital of the Southern Rostov region, which borders the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, and is currently undergoing heavy fighting in the war.

Since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, there have been a series of arson attacks on Russian government buildings, including enlistment and recruitment offices.

Ukraine has denied any involvement in the fire.