A Ukrainian drone attack set fire to a fuel tank at an oil terminal in Azov, Russia’s Rostov region, causing a significant blaze but no casualties, according to Russian officials and Ukrainian sources. The strike, confirmed by both Russia’s Governor Vasily Golubev and Ukrainian intelligence, marks the latest in a series of long-range attacks by Ukraine on Russian energy infrastructure.
Ukraine attacked the Azov oil depot & an oil depot & oil product shipment facility in Chushka. Fires reached up to 5,000 sqm at their peak
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— Rocke Fella – NAFO Raccoon (@NAFORaccoon) June 18, 2024
Golubev reported on Telegram that the fire broke out after the drone strike, but assured that there was “no risk of the fire spreading to other facilities, or threats to residents.” The fire, covering 5,000 square meters, was tackled by over 200 firefighters from Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry, which posted videos of the incident showing the intense flames. Despite the size of the blaze, no injuries were reported.
An anonymous Ukrainian official revealed that the attack was orchestrated by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU). The drones targeted two oil depots in Rostov, each containing multiple reservoirs, in an effort to disrupt Russia’s fuel supply and hinder its military operations. While Kyiv often refrains from claiming responsibility for such attacks, this operation is part of a broader campaign to weaken the Kremlin’s war capabilities.
This latest drone strike follows another recent attack on an oil refinery in Novoshakhtinsk, also in the Rostov region, which caught fire after a drone strike days prior. The Novoshakhtinsk refinery has been targeted multiple times this year, reflecting the ongoing pattern of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil facilities. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, there have been at least 13 successful attacks on Russian refineries since the conflict began.
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