### Explosion Rocks Gas Facility in Grozny Amid Rising Tensions in Chechnya

An explosion heavily impacted a gas facility in Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic, according to independent Russian news outlet, Astra. Dramatic footage shared on social media showcases the facility being consumed by a massive fireball, sending debris into the surrounding area. However, the authenticity of this footage has not been confirmed by Newsweek.

Details on the cause of the explosion remain unclear. Reports from the Ukrainian media outlet RBC-Ukraine indicate that the blast occurred near a college, and at least four individuals, including a mother and child, were injured. No official casualty figures have been released so far.

Chechnya is under the control of Ramzan Kadyrov, a staunchly pro-Russian leader appointed by the Kremlin after a series of bloody conflicts with Chechen separatists and Islamic extremists during the 1990s and early 2000s. Recently, Russian infrastructure and military installations have frequently come under attack, often attributed to Ukrainian drones, although it is uncertain if Saturday's explosion is linked to such activities.

In the region, tensions have been escalating. Kadyrov recently threatened a "blood feud" against Russian lawmakers from Dagestan and Ingushetia, accusing them of plotting his assassination. The targeted lawmakers include State Duma deputies Bekkhan Barakhoev and Rizvan Kurbanov, as well as Dagestani Senator Suleiman Kerimov. Kadyrov demanded that these individuals prove their innocence to avoid the feud.

The recent violent incidents do not stop at this explosion. In September, two security guards were killed during a confrontation at the Moscow office of Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, allegedly involving Kadyrov’s loyalists and the politicians he now threatens. Kadyrov has dismissed accusations of his involvement as attempts to incite ethnic conflict.

Moreover, the violence persists in the region. On Friday, three people died in Ingushetia following an attack on a car carrying a local security official, as reported by Russia’s TASS news agency. The Caucasus remains burdened with violence stemming from Islamic fundamentalists, separatists, and organized crime.

Additionally, there were reports from pro-Kremlin military bloggers that a Su-34 fighter jet had been downed by Ukrainian forces on Saturday. The claim has yet to be independently verified. In recent weeks, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, noted that Russia had dispatched 50,000 soldiers to the Kursk region to bolster their defense in response to a surprise Ukrainian offensive in the area.