KYIV – A Ukrainian drone attack ignited a blaze at an oil facility in Russia’s southern Volgograd region, according to regional authorities on Saturday.
The regional governor, Andrei Bocharov, shared via a Telegram post on the local administration’s channel that there were no immediate reports of injuries. While the extent of the damage remains unspecified, the post mentioned the possibility of evacuating nearby residents.
Ukraine’s strategy of targeting Russian energy infrastructure with long-range drones seeks to cut off Moscow’s vital oil export revenues, which fund its ongoing invasion. Meanwhile, Russia aims to disrupt Ukraine’s power supply, attempting to leave civilians without essential utilities like heating, lighting, and water, a tactic Kyiv describes as “weaponizing winter.”
This latest strike occurred a day after Russia launched a massive assault on Ukraine, involving hundreds of drones and numerous missiles overnight into Friday. Ukrainian officials reported at least four fatalities in the capital. Notably, Russia deployed a new, highly advanced hypersonic missile in western Ukraine, marking only the second time such a weapon has been used in the lengthy conflict, serving as a stark warning to Kyiv’s NATO supporters.
The barrage, which included the deployment of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile, coincided with reports of significant progress in negotiations between Ukraine and its allies regarding defensive measures against further Russian aggression, contingent on a potential U.S.-led peace agreement.
On Saturday, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that its forces had targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructures and fuel depots using a combination of aviation, drones, missiles, and artillery on Friday and into the night. However, specific details about the targets or the extent of damage remain undisclosed.
Overnight into Saturday, Russia struck Ukraine with 121 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile, according to the Ukrainian air force. It said 94 drones were shot down.
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