Ukrainian drone attack triggers fire at Russian oil depot

Three oil tankers have been ablaze since 4 a.m. local time, an hour after two drones “fell” on the oil facility, the Russian Telegram channel Baza reported.

No injuries or deaths were immediately reported.

Rostov Region Governor Vasily Golubev said four Ukrainian drones had been shot down in the region, but did not mention the fires at the oil depot.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that twelve Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russian territory during the night of Tuesday to Sunday.

The fire was caused by a Ukrainian drone attack on an oil depot in the Prletarsk district of the Rostov region, which was still burning on Wednesday.

Kiev ordered attacks on Russian soil for the first time this month, forcing Moscow to use its armed forces to defend its own territory on the border.

The Rostov region, which borders Ukraine’s disputed Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, is one of the preferred targets of Kyiv’s new offensive as Ukraine continues to gain strength following cross-border attacks.

Russia responded this week by increasing the intensity of its attacks in Ukraine, carrying out drone and missile strikes that severely damaged civilian infrastructure across the country, including the capital.