Ukrainian drone strikes triggered fires at multiple Russian oil facilities overnight into Saturday, Russian officials said, marking the latest in a series of attacks targeting Moscow's energy infrastructure, according to the Associated Press.
Attacks on Oil Depots
Authorities in Russia's Rostov region reported that falling drone debris sparked a fire, damaging an oil depot and a tanker at the port city of Taganrog. In the neighbouring Krasnodar region, officials reported another fire at an oil depot in Armavir, also allegedly caused by drone debris.
Zelenskyy Confirms Strike
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to confirm the strike on Armavir, highlighting Ukraine's growing ability to hit targets deep inside Russian territory. 'Another facility of Russia's oil industry has been reached - Armavir,' Zelenskyy wrote on X, noting that the city is located '500 kilometers from our state border.' 'We are rightfully bringing the war back to where it came from,' he added.
Ukraine has significantly expanded its long-range strike capabilities during the war, using domestically developed drones and missiles to target Russian military and energy infrastructure. Attacks on oil depots, refineries, and fuel facilities have become increasingly frequent as Kyiv seeks to disrupt a key source of revenue supporting Russia's military campaign.
Russian Retaliation
At the same time, Russia has continued to launch missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. Kyiv is preparing for the possibility of intensified Russian bombardments after Moscow warned earlier this week of upcoming 'systemic strikes' on the Ukrainian capital.
Zelenskyy said on Thursday that he remains 'very persistent' in urging the United States to provide additional Patriot air defence missiles capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missile attacks.
Incidents Beyond Ukraine
The latest developments come a day after a Russian drone involved in an attack on Ukraine struck an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people in the NATO member country. The incident renewed concerns about the war spilling beyond Ukraine's borders and prompted criticism from several European countries.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Incident
Meanwhile, Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom claimed that a Ukrainian drone struck the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on Saturday. According to Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev, the drone hit a turbine hall wall, leaving a hole but causing no damage to critical equipment. The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility, has been under Russian control since the early stages of Moscow's full-scale invasion. Although the plant is no longer operational, it still requires a stable power supply to cool its six shut-down reactors and spent nuclear fuel.
