Another retail centre in Moscow catches fire. Details here

Suspicion around sabotage attacks in Russia has grown stronger after a second shopping mall in Moscow was razed in flames. A video circulating on the internet and quoted by media sources showed a smoke cloud over the Storypark Mall in Balashikha, according to reports.

According to media reports, there were no fatalities, though one man was injured in the incident. Firefighters were reportedly trying to control the fire, but the source of it remained unknown. However, Russian authorities officially stated that the firefighter saw a pile of garbage burning spread across an open area of 200sq.mt.

While the authorities mentioned that the cause of the fire was unconfirmed unverified reports on social media claimed that the fire was due to sabotage attacks in Moscow. The Storypark Mall fire is the second incident of such nature.


Earlier on Friday, a huge fire broke out at the Mega shopping complex in the Khimki neighbourhood of Moscow, which also housed the original Russian IKEA outlet. However, a BBC report suggested that the fire at the Mega shopping complex was likely to have been triggered due to a short circuit, which discards the alleged sabotage attacks as rumours.



Amid the rampant speculations on the internet, there wasn’t any credible evidence of an aerial attack or something radical that could cause the fire. Some reports also suggested that the economic pressure Russia was facing could have motivated President Vladimir Putin’s competitors in Moscow to carry on sabotage attacks.

As per a Eurasian Times article, Russia had accused the UK of sabotage, saying that London had supplied underwater UAVs to Ukraine that were used against Moscow’s warships. Likewise, reports had emerged in November claiming that anti-war Russians were sabotaging railways. A Reuters report from last month also confirmed that Russia had detained a Ukrainian man for allegedly plotting to sabotage the Crimea power line.

FAQs:

1. Where did the first fire take place?
   At Mega shopping complex in Khimki.
2. Why was a Ukrainian man detained last month?
   For allegedly plotting to sabotage the Crimea power line.