Russia burns as fireball erupts from plant ‘hit by drone’ day after massive Russian attack

A massive fire erupted at an oil depot in the western Russian city of Oryol overnight on December 14, seemingly as the result of a drone strike.

Russian Telegram channels and videos shared by local residents suggest that explosions rocked the area shortly after midnight local time.

Andrey Klychkov, governor of Oryol Oblast, claimed that 11 drones were intercepted over the region, and the fire at the oil depot was quickly localised. No casualties have been reported.

However, footage circulating on social media – and shared by, among others, former Ukrainian interior ministerial adviser Anton Geraschenko – appears to show a drone striking a storage tank, resulting in an explosion and subsequent blaze.

Residents reported seeing at least one tank engulfed in flames, though it remains unclear which oil depot was targeted.

’s military has yet to comment on the attack, and it rarely confirms to be behind drone missions launched outside of its borders, with the extent of the damage unknown. authorities have not confirmed whether there were casualties from the alleged attack.

This latest strike comes as continues to target Russian infrastructure near the border to disrupt the country’s military supply chains.

On December 11, Ukrainian forces reportedly struck the Druzhba oil pipeline near Bryansk, igniting another fire, according to ’s Armed Forces General Staff.

Oryol Oblast lies in western , bordered by the Kursk, Bryansk, and Tula regions. Over the past year, Ukrainian drones have repeatedly targeted ’s oil and military supply networks, aiming to weaken Moscow’s war capabilities.

The oil sector, vital to sustaining ’s war machine, has been a particular focus of these operations.

As ’s full-scale invasion of grinds on, the war is increasingly spilling across borders, with strikes deep inside Russian territory becoming more frequent.

This latest explosion in Oryol underscores the escalating intensity of the conflict and ’s determination to hit key Russian targets.

has increasingly leveraged drones and missile strikes to target critical components of ‘s war machine, disrupting supply chains, damaging infrastructure, and undermining military capabilities. These strikes have included attacks on oil depots, railway lines, and airbases deep within Russian territory.

Western-supplied equipment, including precision-guided missiles and advanced drone technologies, has been instrumental in enhancing ‘s ability to conduct these operations effectively.

High-profile strikes, such as those on ‘s Black Sea Fleet and its strategic bomber bases, have demonstrated ‘s capacity to hit key targets, even hundreds of miles from the frontlines.

has retaliated by unleashing relentless missile and drone attacks on ’s energy infrastructure, aiming to cripple the country’s power grid and weaken civilian morale.

In one of the most extensive barrages in recent weeks, launched dozens of missiles and drones on Friday, targeting cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa.

The strikes disrupted power supplies to millions, underscoring Moscow’s intent to use winter as a weapon against ‘s population.