A Ukrainian long-range drone successfully struck a Russian oil storage facility on Saturday, 10 January 2026, igniting a significant blaze in the Volgograd region. The attack represents a direct response to a massive overnight Russian bombardment that included the rare use of a powerful new hypersonic missile.
Details of the Retaliatory Strike
Regional authorities in southern Russia confirmed the incident, stating the drone attack caused a fire at the oil depot. The governor of the Volgograd region reported via the local administration's Telegram channel that there were no immediate reports of casualties.
While the full extent of the damage was not specified, officials warned that residents living near the facility might need to be evacuated as a safety precaution. This strike is part of a sustained Ukrainian campaign targeting Russian energy infrastructure, aimed at crippling the oil export revenue that funds Moscow's ongoing invasion.
Preceding Russian Barrage and Hypersonic Warning
The Ukrainian drone operation came just one day after Russia launched an intense assault on Ukraine. From overnight Thursday into Friday, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces bombarded the country with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles.
This barrage killed at least four people in the capital, Kyiv. Crucially, the attack featured only the second-ever wartime use of Russia's new Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which struck targets in western Ukraine. This advanced, nuclear-capable weapon is seen as a stark warning to Kyiv's NATO allies.
Strategic Context and Ongoing Conflict
The exchange of strikes highlights the escalating nature of the nearly four-year conflict. Ukraine's strategy focuses on diminishing Russia's war-funding energy exports, while Moscow seeks to destroy Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, a tactic Kyiv condemns as "weaponising winter."
Russia's Defence Ministry stated that its forces used aviation, drones, missiles, and artillery to hit Ukrainian energy sites and fuel depots on Friday. In a separate wave overnight into Saturday, the Ukrainian air force reported intercepting 94 out of 121 drones launched by Russia, along with one Iskander-M ballistic missile.
This fierce military activity follows diplomatic reports of progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies about long-term defence arrangements, potentially in the context of a future peace deal.
