Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukrainian drones struck a major Russian fuel depot on Sunday for the second time in just over a week, according to a senior Russian regional official, as part of a “massive” cross-border attack on fuel and energy facilities that Kyiv says Moscow to supply the army.
The attacks came days after Russia launched sweeping assaults on Ukraine’s already battered energy network, threatening to plunge thousands of homes into darkness as winter tightens its grip on the region and Russia’s invasion of its neighbor nears the three-year mark.
A fire broke out at the Stalnoy Kon oil terminal in Russia’s southern Oryol region, local governor Andrey Klychkov said in a message on messaging app Telegram, adding that Russian forces had downed 20 drones targeting “fuel and energy” infrastructure” in the province.
Russian independent news channel Astra shared a video of what it said was an explosion at the site, with a huge orange glow lighting up the night sky. Although the clip could not be independently verified, it was later shared by a Ukrainian security official who described it as footage from Oryol.
The official, Andriy Kovalenko of the Council for National Security and Defense, claimed that the Oryol fuel depot supplies Russian forces fighting in Ukraine and southern Russia, including Kursk province where Ukrainian forces dug in after a lightning raid in August.
According to Klychkov, Russia’s local governor, the fire was extinguished hours later and caused no casualties or “significant” damage.
The Ukrainian military previously claimed to have attacked the Stalnoy Kon terminal with drones on December 14, sparking a “powerful” fire.
Other important war-related developments in Ukraine and Russia:
– Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed retaliation on Sunday after Ukrainian drones struck residential buildings in the city of Kazan, in the Tatarstan region, more than 900 kilometers from the front line, the day before. In a conversation with Tatarstan’s regional governor Rustam Minnikhanov, Putin claimed that anyone who attacks Russia should take into account that Moscow will inflict “many times greater damage” in return, but did not elaborate. His comments were carried by Russian state news agencies.
Minnikhanov’s press service said on Saturday that eight drones attacked Kazan. Local authorities said there were no casualties.
– A 30-year-old man died on the spot in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region on Sunday after a Russian drone dropped explosives nearby, local governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Hours earlier, Prokudin said two other civilians were killed late Saturday as a result of Russian drone strikes on the province. A man in his late 40s suffered fatal injuries from a drone explosion, and a woman was found dead under the rubble after another drone struck her home.
– In the northeastern Kharkiv region, a Russian drone strike seriously injured a 56-year-old man on Sunday as he walked along a road in the city of Kupiansk, local governor Oleh Syniehubov said. He said the man had to have at least one limb amputated as a result, but gave no further details.
– In the Kiev suburb of Brovary, debris from a Russian drone caused a fire on the roof of a 25-storey tower block late on Saturday, regional governor Ruslan Kravchenko said. There were no immediate reports of any casualties.
Russia launched 103 Iranian-made Shahed drones at its neighboring country last night, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 52 of the drones, while another 44 failed to reach their targets, the force said in a statement, likely citing electronic jamming.
– Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday that its forces had intercepted 42 Ukrainian drones launched overnight on Russian territory. According to the ministry, 20 of them were above the Oryol region, where the local governor said a fire ripped through the oil terminal.
– Russian forces have continued their advance in northeastern Ukraine, in addition to making gains near the eastern city of Kurakhove. On Sunday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces had captured two northeastern settlements: Lozova in the Kharkiv region and Krasne in Luhansk province. There was no immediate confirmation from Kiev.
