Ukrainian drones struck a major oil depot in Russia’s Penza region early hours of Friday, sparking fires that damaged at least two fuel storage tanks.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said the strike on the Penzanefteprodukt facility was part of an ongoing effort to weaken Russia’s military capabilities, adding that the depot supplies fuel directly to Russian forces.
Residents of Penza reported hearing explosions around 4 a.m. local time, and videos posted online showed large flames rising from the facility. The fire continued burning into the morning, with satellite imagery and resident photos showing a smoke plume from the depot.
Ukrainian drones hit the Penzanefteprodukt oil depot in Penza overnight, local residents report. pic.twitter.com/D3atRFp3BC
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) January 23, 2026
A fire is still burning at an oil depot in Penza region on the territory of the russian terrorist state.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces confirm they hit the strategic facility last night. The “Penzanefteprodukt” oil depot supplies the russian occupation army in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/UzIoT2ivlg
— Michael MacKay (@mhmck) January 23, 2026
Ukrainian one-way attack drones struck one of Rosneft’s largest oil depots in Russia’s Penza region. Large plumes of smoke are still rising following the strike. pic.twitter.com/T5P0PmkZEF
— Giorgi Revishvili (@revishvilig) January 23, 2026
Penza Governor Oleg Melnichenko confirmed a fire broke out at the facility, with dozens of firefighters and more than ten vehicles responding to the scene. Authorities temporarily halted flights at the local airport during the attack.
While Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 12 Ukrainian drones overnight, the scale of the damage visible suggests several drones successfully struck the facility.
The Penzanefteprodukt depot is one of the largest fuel distributors in the region and is part of Russia’s Rosneft group. The company has operated since 1988, owns three major oil depots, and runs a network of gas stations across Penza and the neighboring Republic of Mordovia.
The Penza attack follows a strike on the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in Russia’s Krasnodar region. That operation was reportedly carried out by the SBU’s Alpha Special Operations Center.
Ukrainian forces have significantly increased strikes on Russian energy infrastructure over the past year. In 2025, Ukraine hit oil refineries and fuel depots more than 140 times, a 51 percent increase over the previous year, according to data compiled by the Russian outlet Verstka and cited by The New Voice of Ukraine.
