Fire erupts at oil depot in Russia's Kaluga Oblast following drone attack
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
A fire erupted at an oil depot in the city of Lyudinovo in Russia's Kaluga Oblast following a Ukrainian drone attack on the facility on Jan. 17, regional Governor Vladislav Shapsha said.
Various Russian Telegram channels, citing residents, reported sounds of explosions in the region. Videos which appear to show a large fire at an oil depot in the city were posted to social media.
Shapsha confirmed a fire had erupted at a "industrial facility" around 9:30 p.m. local time, additionally claiming that no casualties had been sustained as a result of the attack.
The Kyiv Independent cannot verify claims made by Russian officials. Ukraine's military has not yet commented on the attack.
The full extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
The attack comes amid an uptick in Ukraine’s drone operations targeting Russian energy infrastructure.
Ukraine has targeted Russia's fossil fuel infrastructure as part of its strategy to undermine a key funding source for Russia's war effort. Drone strikes on refineries in Tuapse, Ilyich, and Novoshakhtinsk have led to reductions or suspensions in operations.
Overnight on Jan. 14, Ukraine carried out its "most massive" strike on Russian military and industrial facilities within a range of up to 1,100 kilometers (620 miles), according to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. Targets included chemical plants, refineries, and ammunition depots at the Engels airbase, a source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.
Amid an uptick in drone attacks, Russia's seaborne exports of petroleum products declined by 9.1% to 113.7 million metric tons in 2024, Reuters reported on Jan. 17.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
