On Friday, a Ukrainian drone targeted an oil storage facility in western Russia, igniting a substantial fire, as reported by officials.
This attack in Klintsy, a city approximately 60 kilometers (40 miles) from the Ukrainian border, resulted in four oil tanks with a combined capacity of 6,000 cubic meters (1.6 million gallons) catching fire. The incident was confirmed by the local governor and the state news agency Tass.
The attack marks an escalation in Ukraine’s strategy to disrupt Russian operations and challenge President Vladimir Putin’s portrayal of normalcy in Russia, especially with the upcoming presidential election on March 17.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pledged to increase attacks within Russian border areas this year.
According to Kyiv officials, Russia’s air defense systems are mainly deployed in occupied Ukrainian territories, making farther targets within Russia more susceptible, particularly as Ukraine enhances its long-range drone capabilities.
In response to potential Ukrainian drone threats, the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border, canceled its traditional Orthodox Epiphany celebrations on Friday.
This cancellation marks the first known instance of significant public events in Russia being suspended due to the drone threat.
Ukrainian national media, citing a Ukrainian Intelligence Service official, reported that Ukrainian drones also targeted a gunpowder factory in Tambov, roughly 600 kilometers (370 miles) south of Moscow on Friday.
However, Tambov Governor Maxim Yegorov, as reported by Russia’s RBC news, stated that the factory was operating as usual. Mash news outlet earlier reported a Ukrainian drone crashed on the factory’s grounds on Thursday without causing damage.
Additionally, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that a Ukrainian drone was shot down near St. Petersburg on Thursday.
The drone wreckage landed at the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal, confirmed by terminal co-owner Mikhail Skigin, indicating an intended attack on the facility. St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, is located about 900 kilometers (560 miles) north of the Ukrainian border.
In Klintsy, although air defenses managed to electronically disrupt the drone, it still released its explosives over the storage depot, as stated by Bryansk regional Governor Alexander Bogomaz.
He assured that there were no casualties, but the fire was challenging to extinguish, requiring specialized equipment. 32 residents near the depot were evacuated for safety.
