Russian emergency services have been battling a fire for three days at an oil storage depot in Proletarsk, a town in the Rostov region, following a Ukrainian drone strike on August 18. The fire, which ignited the facility’s diesel reserves, has spread across an area of at least 10,000 square meters, according to Rostov Oblast Governor Vasily Golubev.
The drone strike targeted the Kavkaz oil depot, a facility reportedly used to supply fuel to the Russian military. Russian air defense forces initially repelled the attack, but debris from the downed drone struck an industrial warehouse at the depot, igniting the fire. Despite the efforts of over 500 firefighters deployed to contain the blaze, the fire has proven difficult to control. As of August 21, 41 firefighters have been hospitalized, with 13 remaining in critical condition in Rostov-on-Don and St. Petersburg.
The situation in Proletarsk is dramatic. Smoke from the burning oil depot has already reached Rostov – the sky over the city has darkened. The distance to Proletarsk is 165 km. pic.twitter.com/2A3VIMiGg8
— Liberated Russia 🇵🇱🇪🇺⬜️🟦⬜️ (@freerussia2025) August 20, 2024
The situation was further complicated by what Golubev described as a “repeated UAV attack” on Sunday morning, which temporarily halted firefighting efforts. While there is no immediate risk of the fire spreading to residential areas, a state of emergency has been declared in the Proletarsk district as firefighting operations continue.
Ukraine has claimed responsibility for the drone strike, with Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereschuk celebrating the operation as a step toward bringing the war to Russian territory. The attack on the oil depot is part of Ukraine’s broader strategy to target key industrial and energy facilities within Russia, aiming to disrupt the country’s military supply chains and economic stability. Since the onset of the conflict, areas near the Ukrainian border, such as the Rostov region, have become increasingly vulnerable to such strikes.
Another tanker exploded at the oil depot in Proletarsk, Rostov region. The fire has not been extinguished for four days. pic.twitter.com/9udVPrcCpN
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) August 21, 2024
Expanded Coverage:
