Russia: Fire in Saratov after military office hit by suspected arson

A fire was extinguished in southern Russia after a suspected arson attack on a district military substitute office, regional news portal Vsgljad-Info reported.

Officially, no information was provided on the cause of the fire. However, a bottle containing petrol residue was found there, according to media reports.

Images showed that the premises of the military commissariat were badly damaged. The district military replacement office was not in use, according to sources close to security circles. However, it is said to have been a rallying point during the partial mobilization declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin several months ago.

Meanwhile, Moscow's fire brigade had to extinguish a fire at a military site during the night, after flames broke out in a garage complex of the military facility in the city's east.

Around a dozen fire engines were deployed to extinguish the approximately 200 square metre fire. It was unclear what started the fire or how much damage it caused. There were no casualties, according to official reports.