Ukraine: Dramatic Footage Shows Government Building Engulfed In Flames

Footage shared online shows huge flames and black clouds emerging from the regional headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine.

The footage was shared on Telegram and re-posted to Twitter today, February 25, one day after Russia invaded Ukraine by land, air and sea in the north, east and south.

Major cities, including the capital, Kyiv, and military infrastructure have been targeted by missiles from the Russian army, while the footage indicates an attack was also launched against the security service building in Chernihiv, located approximately 105 kilometers (65 miles) north of Kyiv.

See the footage below:

The video comes as CNN cited reports of heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces around the city, which is positioned on the main route from Belarus to Kyiv.

Smoke can be seen pouring from the building, presumably after having been struck with a shell or missile. It's unclear whether the building was occupied at the time of the attack, but a witness in the area told CNN it continued to burn late into the day.

The Russian defense ministry acknowledged that conflict is taking place in the area and indicated the invading country had cut off the city from its surroundings as it said forces had 'completed the blockade of the city of Chernihiv.'

However, Ukraine has said it inflicted heavy losses on Russian columns in the city as it destroyed more than thirty tanks.

Earlier today the chief of Ukraine's armed forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said Ukraine had managed to repel the breakthrough of Russian troops in Chernihiv, while yesterday Zaluzhnyi released a statement to say the entire reconnaissance unit of Russia’s 74th Motorised Rifle Brigade had been taken captive near the northern city.

The Commander-in-Chief shared a picture of a man with bloodstained arms to his Facebook page and claimed the soldiers surrendered in the face of 'total resistance’ from Ukrainian forces, after which the commander of the Russian platoon allegedly claimed to believe they were going to return home without fatalities.

As cited by the Metro, the commander was quoted as saying: 'Nobody thought that we were going to kill. We were not going to fight – we were collecting information.'

The Security Service of Ukraine's regional headquarters is just one of a number of buildings which have been damaged or destroyed in the ongoing attack, with residents in the country urged to seek shelter to avoid the missiles flying overhead.

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