MOSCOW: A Ukrainian drone strike caused a fire at an oil depot in Russia’s southern Volgograd region, regional authorities said on Saturday, as Kyiv continues to target Russian energy infrastructure.
Governor Andrei Bocharov said in a statement posted on his administration’s Telegram channel that the fire broke out at an oil depot in the Oktyabrskiy district.
He said there were no immediate reports of casualties but warned that residents living nearby might have to be evacuated. The extent of the damage was not disclosed.
Ukraine’s military confirmed on Saturday that it had struck the Zhutovskaya oil depot overnight.
Ukrainian officials said such attacks are aimed at disrupting Russia’s fuel supplies and cutting off oil revenue used to finance Moscow’s military campaign.
Russian air defences
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defence systems had shot down 67 Ukrainian drones by 0600 GMT on Saturday. It did not specify how many drones targeted the Volgograd region or whether other facilities were hit.
The ministry also said Russian forces had used aircraft, drones, missiles and artillery to strike Ukrainian energy facilities and fuel storage sites on Friday and overnight.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight, killing at least four people in Kyiv.
For only the second time since the war started in February 2022, Russia used an Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which struck western Ukraine.
A senior Ukrainian official said the missile hit a state enterprise in the western city of Lviv, about 40 miles from the border with NATO member Poland.
Europe’s leaders condemned the strike as “escalatory and unacceptable”. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the United Nations Security Council would hold an emergency meeting on January 12 to discuss the attack.
Energy infrastructure under fire
Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone attacks on Russian energy sites in recent months. Russia, meanwhile, has intensified strikes on Ukraine’s power grid.
Kyiv’s city administration said on Saturday that parts of the electricity system had been shut down for repairs on the orders of the state grid operator.
Ukrainian officials said that overnight into Saturday, Russia launched 121 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile. The Ukrainian air force said 94 drones were shot down.
The latest escalation comes amid reports of progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on post-war security arrangements in the event of a US-led peace deal.
Earlier this week, the United Kingdom and France signed a joint declaration pledging to deploy troops to Ukraine under a future agreement to guarantee the country’s security.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said a potential multinational force would help deter further Russian attacks and allow Ukraine’s armed forces to rebuild their strength.
