Ukrainian Strikes Target Russian Oil Depots Amid Intensified Conflict

On Thursday, Ukraine’s military announced successful strikes on two additional Russian oil depots, continuing its aggressive campaign against vital infrastructure that supports Moscow’s ongoing war effort. These targeted attacks reflect Ukraine’s strategic aim to inflict pain and hardship directly on Russia, coinciding with increasing calls from Ukrainian leaders for permission to utilize NATO-supplied weaponry to hit deeper targets within Russian territory.

The Ukrainian military reported causing significant damage on Wednesday at the Atlas oil depot located in the Rostov region, which shares a border with eastern Ukraine. In response, Vasily Golubev, the governor of Rostov, confirmed the occurrence of a fire at the facility and mentioned that four drones had been intercepted and shot down during the incident.

In addition to the Rostov strike, Ukraine also targeted an oil depot in the Kirov region, approximately 800 miles away from the Ukrainian border and northeast of Moscow. Furthermore, an artillery depot was struck in the Voronezh region, which also borders Ukraine. Aleksandr Sokolov, the governor of Kirov, shared on Telegram that an oil facility had caught fire on Wednesday, with two drones shot down and three others reportedly crashing without causing further damage. Similarly, Aleksandr Gusev, the governor of Voronezh, acknowledged a drone attack but stated that it resulted in no significant harm.

While these claims made by Ukraine remain unverified through independent sources, they are part of a broader pattern. For months, Ukraine has employed explosive drones to target Russian infrastructure, particularly oil facilities, as a tactic to hinder Moscow’s military operations. Despite these efforts, Russian forces have continued their advance toward Pokrovsk, a crucial transport and logistics hub in eastern Ukraine.