Ukrainian source says Kiev is behind attack on oil tanks in Russia

A source in Kyiv told AFP news agency on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces carried out a drone attack overnight that set fire to several oil tanks near the southern Russian city of Azov.

Kiev has carried out several such attacks on Russian energy facilities in recent months, arguing that they are legitimate targets because they supply energy to Moscow’s military.

Russia has also carried out dozens of devastating attacks on Ukrainian power plants during its two-year invasion, paralyzing the country’s energy grid.

“In Azov, tanks for oil products caught fire as a result of a drone attack. According to preliminary information, there were no casualties,” said the governor of the Rostov region, Vasily Golubev.

A video released by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations shows thick smoke and flames rising from what appear to be several oil storage tanks at an unknown location.

Ukraine did not provide any information on how many drones were involved in the attack.

“The (Security Service of Ukraine) SBU will continue to impose ‘drone sanctions’ against the Russian oil refining complex and reduce the enemy’s economic potential, which will provide the aggressor with the resources to wage war against Ukraine,” the source close to defense said.

It was also claimed that SBU drones had carried out more than 20 successful attacks on Russian oil facilities in various regions.

– Russia “tries to move forward” –

About 200 firefighters and rescue workers were deployed to fight the fire, which covered an area of ​​at least 3,200 square meters, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said.

The Rostov region lies directly across the Ukrainian border and is home to the operational headquarters monitoring the Russian invasion.

On the battlefield, Russian troops were fighting to penetrate the outskirts of Chasiv Yar, a troubled city in the east whose capture could accelerate the Russian advance, according to Ukraine.

The eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, where the war-torn town of Chasiv Yar is located, has borne the brunt of the fighting for more than two years and the Kremlin claims the region is part of Russia.

“The enemy continues to try to advance to the Novy microdistrict in the city of Chasiv Yar,” the Ukrainian military said in a briefing.

Further south, Moscow’s forces were also reportedly pushing toward Pokrovsk, where they were approaching a key road that would complicate supply flows between the region’s strategic hubs.

A 24-year-old Ukrainian soldier who identified himself by his call sign Dykyi dismissed fears that the Russians might make the road impassable for Ukraine.

However, a colleague who did not give his name noted that Russian forces were already using drones and launching missile attacks on the street.

“It will definitely not be closed to the military,” Dykyi told AFP at a training ground in the Donetsk region as gunfire rang out.

He said that even if Russian troops advance toward the thoroughfare, military engineers could create new routes or repair alternative roads in poor condition.

“As long as the weather is good, there are routes everywhere,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down ten Iranian-made combat drones launched by Russian forces overnight.

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