Ukrainian Drones Set Oil Depots in Russia Ablaze Again

Attacks on Vessels in the Sea of Azov

At the same time, a fire broke out in one of the reservoirs at the "Oil Base Tver" following the repelling of a drone attack. The governor of the Tver region, Vitaly Korolyov, confirmed the blaze to Russian news agencies. Firefighters were still working to contain the flames at the time of reporting.

According to Kyiv's account, the drone strikes were part of a coordinated operation against Russia's logistical infrastructure. As stated by Kyiv, twelve tankers, a tugboat, and a dry cargo vessel at sea were hit. The Ukrainian General Staff later confirmed the new attacks on the vessels and stated on Telegram that the drones had also struck and set fire to an oil transshipment terminal in the Rostov region.

Kyiv Names Military Targets

The governor of the southern Russian region of Rostov, Yuri Slyusar, had already reported drone attacks on two vessels the previous day. He later reported two additional hits on vessels in the Sea of Azov. Security forces evacuated crews from ships in the Sea of Azov due to the fires caused by the drone attacks.

The affected vessels had been used to supply fuel to the Russian military and to circumvent sanctions against Russian oil exports, Kyiv stated as the rationale for the choice of targets. Russia's air defense is powerless against the drone attacks, according to Kyiv.

Vulnerability of Russian Infrastructure

In its defensive struggle against Moscow's invasion, Ukraine has relied on drone attacks against strategic targets in the rear. Attacks on oil and fuel infrastructure have intensified sharply in recent months and aim to weaken Russia's economic and military supply base.

Russia's oil industry is getting no rest. Just the previous day, Slyusar had reported drone attacks on two vessels in the Sea of Azov. The accumulation of incidents makes clear how vulnerable Russian energy and transport infrastructure has become to Ukrainian drone tactics.

According to Kyiv's account, Russian air defense finds itself helpless in the face of the nighttime attacks. Ukraine's coordinated approach – simultaneous strikes on targets in Tver, Stavropol, and Rostov, as well as on vessels in the Sea of Azov – points to a systematic escalation of the campaign.

For the affected regions, this means renewed nighttime blazes, evacuations, and firefighting operations lasting several hours. Economic consequences for the Russian fuel supply are likely in view of the destroyed or damaged storage capacity, even though specific impacts on the end consumer remain unclear.