Footage appears to show a fire that broke out at the Russian defence ministry in the centre of Moscow on Wednesday evening (5 April).

The clip, taken on 19 Znamenka Street, shows smoke emerging from the ministry’s building near the Kremlin.

Russian state media, citing emergency services, said no injuries were reported and the blaze was extinguished shortly after it started.

The fire came as Vladimir Putin held talks with Belarus’ president Alexander Lukashenko for talks on what the Kremlin called “topical bilateral and international issues.”