KYIV: Ukraine targeted an oil depot located in the Russian border region of Belgorod on Tuesday, igniting at least one fuel tank and prompting heightened tensions between the neighboring nations, a military intelligence source in Kyiv told AFP.
According to a military intelligence, the strike on the oil depot was carried out via a Ukrainian drone, marking a continuation of Ukraine’s recent strategy of targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure in retaliation for its ongoing invasion.
The strike occurred in the Russian village of Dolgoye, situated approximately four kilometers (2.5 miles) from the border, as confirmed by the military source.
Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov acknowledged the incident, stating that emergency services were currently managing a fire at an “infrastructure facility” in the region. However, he refrained from explicitly mentioning the involvement of a drone, stating that investigations into the incident were ongoing.
No Casualties Reported in Ukraine’s Strike on Oil Depot
No casualties were reported in the aftermath of the attack, with emergency and operational teams actively engaged in assessing the situation and addressing any potential risks.
In addition to the strike on the oil depot, Ukrainian artillery bombardments targeted other Russian regions on the same day, leading to further disruptions and damages.
In the neighboring Kursk region, Ukrainian artillery strikes sparked a fire at a train station and severed power supply to the village of Kulbaki, as reported by regional governor Roman Starovoit. Despite the extensive damage caused, there were no reported casualties from the attacks.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones also launched strikes on the inland city of Voronezh, prompting local authorities to declare an air alert, according to regional governor Alexander Gusev.
Responding to the escalation, the Russian defense ministry claimed that air defenses had successfully intercepted and downed three drones over the Belgorod border region overnight, with an additional drone being intercepted over the Kursk region in the morning.
