You're reading: Russian soldier blamed for ammunition depot fire

MOSCOW — Russia's top investigative agency has opened a criminal probe against an army soldier accused of sparking a devastating fire at a Russian ammunition depot by dropping a cigarette butt.

The Investigative
Committee said Thursday the soldier, who voluntarily reported his
action, faced charges of breaching fire safety rules. The charge is
punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine up to the equivalent
of $30,000.

The fire broke out Tuesday at the Donguz depot in the
Orenburg region in the southern Ural Mountains. It triggered a series
of explosions that destroyed more than 4,000 metric tons of artillery
munitions and injured one officer.

Russian military depots see
regular fires. Experts say they are often rooted in neglect of fire
safety rules and poor skills of conscript soldiers.