Suspected Ukrainian military drones have struck an oil storage depot in Russia’s Kursk region, a regional Russian official said on July 28, with video posted online showing a huge blaze lighting up the early morning sky.
Three storage tanks caught fire as a result of the drone strike, acting regional Governor Aleksei Smirnov said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. He said one of the fires was quickly extinguished, but firefighters were trying to put out the two other blazes. Smirnov said 82 firefighters and 32 units of equipment were involved.
Russian Telegram channels led by Baza, which is linked to Russian security services, posted video showing what were described as the tanks on fire.
Smirnov said the drones also damaged a couple of residential buildings in the region, injuring one person.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that its air defense systems had destroyed two drones over the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.
Ukraine considers Russian oil infrastructure a legitimate military target and began targeting it in early 2024. Ukraine makes extensive use of long-range drones, which are virtually the only weapons that can hit military facilities deep inside Russia.
Russian oil refineries and military facilities are regularly targeted by Ukrainian drones. On July 27, Ukrayinska Pravda reported on July 27 that Ukrainian drones had hit an oil refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region.
