Ukrainian drone strikes caused fires at multiple Russian oil facilities overnight into Saturday, local officials reported, as Kyiv continues its campaign to target infrastructure that supports Moscow's invasion.
Authorities in Russia's Rostov region stated that falling drone debris ignited a fire, damaging an oil depot and a tanker in the port of Taganrog. Meanwhile, officials in the neighboring Krasnodar region reported a fire at an oil depot in Armavir due to similar circumstances.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the attack in the Krasnodar region via social media, noting that Armavir is located 500 kilometers from Ukraine's border. He remarked, 'We are rightfully bringing the war back to where it came from.'
Ukraine has enhanced its mid- and long-range strike capabilities, employing domestically developed drone and missile technology to combat Russia's four-year-old invasion. Assaults on Russian oil assets, which play a crucial role in funding the war, have become almost daily events.
In response, Russia has utilized long-range ballistic missiles to damage Ukraine's power grid and bombard cities. The Ukrainian capital is preparing for intensified attacks after the Russian Foreign Ministry announced plans for 'systemic strikes' on Kyiv. Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that he is persistently urging the United States to supply more Patriot air defense missiles to counter devastating Russian ballistic missile strikes.
The attacks on Russian oil infrastructure occurred a day after a Russian drone, part of an assault on Ukraine, went off course and struck an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people in the NATO member state. This incident has heightened concerns that the conflict could spill over the alliance's borders, drawing strong condemnation across Europe.
