Six Russian soldiers were killed in the country’s Kursk region in a fire blamed on a “gross violation” of safety rules, Russian state media reported on February 20, citing the Defense Ministry. The reports said the blaze ignited ammunition that was stored in a military dugout. The Baza Telegram channel reported that the servicemen were conscripts. Russia often uses bases in the Kursk region as a staging area for deployment to the war in Ukraine. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.