Ukraine has stated that its forces struck a Russian oil depot that served the Russian Air Force, located hundreds of kilometers from the border separating the two countries.
This attack is part of an escalating series of cross-border strikes between Moscow and Kyiv, targeting energy and military infrastructure, nearly three years after the Kremlin launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
“Ukrainian defense forces hit a Russian oil depot in Engels,” in the Saratov region, the Ukrainian General Staff said in a social media post.
“We emphasize that this oil depot supplied fuel to the Engels-2 military airbase, which houses the enemy’s strategic aviation,” the statement added.
In previous statements, Russian officials acknowledged that Ukraine had attacked the region with drones.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that air defense systems shot down 32 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 11 over the Saratov region.
Roman Busargin, the governor of the Saratov region, said emergency teams were deployed to an industrial building engulfed in flames following a Ukrainian drone attack. However, he did not provide details about the building in question.
Busargin added that there were no injuries from the attacks.
Kyiv has also claimed responsibility for earlier strikes targeting oil depots, continuing its efforts to disrupt Russia’s energy revenue, which it says is being used to finance its war against Ukraine, according to REL.
“The destruction of the oil depot creates significant logistical problems for Russia’s strategic aviation and significantly reduces its ability to attack peaceful Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure,” the Ukrainian military said.
Meanwhile, Kyiv also announced that overnight, Ukraine’s air defense shot down 41 Russian drones, while 22 others were either downed or disappeared from radar after interference with their electronic systems.
