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Ukrainian drones hit Russian fuel depot for the second time this month

Ukrainian drones hit Russian fuel depot for the second time this month

kyiv, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian drones hit a major Russian fuel depot during the second time in just over a week on Sunday, according to a senior Russian regional official, in a “massive” cross-border attack on fuel and energy facilities that kyiv says supply Moscow’s military.

The strikes came days after Russia launched large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s already struggling energy grid, threatening to plunge thousands of homes into darkness as winter tightens its grip on the region and that Russia’s total invasion of its neighbor approaching the three-year mark.

A fire broke out at the Stalnoy Kon oil terminal in southern Russia’s Orel region, local governor Andrey Klychkov said in a message on messaging app Telegram, adding that Russian forces had shot down 20 drones targeting “fuel and energy infrastructure” in the province.

Russian independent media outlet Astra shared a video of what it said was an explosion at the site, showing a huge orange flame lighting up the night sky. Although the clip could not be independently verified, it was later shared by a Ukrainian security official who described it as footage from Oryol.

According to Klychkov, the local governor, the fire was extinguished a few hours later and caused no casualties or “significant” damage.

The Ukrainian military previously claimed to have struck the Stalnoy Kon terminal with drones on December 14, causing a “powerful” fire.

Other key developments related to the war in Ukraine and Russia

  • Two civilians died after Russia launched drones into southern Ukraine’s Kherson province on Saturday evening, local governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. He said a man in his 40s was fatally injured after a Russian drone dropped explosives nearby. Hours later, a woman was found dead under the rubble after another drone hit her house.
  • In the northeastern Kharkiv region, a Russian drone strike on Sunday seriously injured a 56-year-old man as he walked down a street in the city of Kupiansk, local governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. He added that the man would then have to have at least one limb amputated, but gave no further details.
  • In the kyiv suburb of Brovary, debris from a Russian drone sparked a fire Saturday evening on the roof of a 25-story tower, according to regional governor Ruslan Kravchenko. No casualties were immediately reported.
  • According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 103 Iranian-made Shahed drones at its neighbor overnight on Sunday. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 52 drones while 44 others failed to hit their targets, the force said in a statement, likely referring to electronic jamming.
  • Separately, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday that its forces had intercepted 42 Ukrainian drones launched overnight on Russian territory. According to the ministry, 20 of them occurred in the Oryol region, where the local governor said a fire had ravaged the oil terminal.
  • Separately, Russian forces continued to advance into northeastern Ukraine, in addition to making gains near the eastern town of Kurakhove. On Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that its troops had captured two northeastern settlements: Lozova in the Kharkiv region and Krasne in the Luhansk province. There was no immediate confirmation from Kyiv.