Footage has shown the night sky being illuminated by a massive fire which erupted at an oil depot in the city of Lyudinovo, located in ‘s Kaluga Oblast, after a Ukrainian drone strike last night.
Local residents reported hearing explosions in the area, as noted by various Russian Telegram channels. Unverified videos shared on social media appeared to show a significant blaze engulfing the facility.
Governor Vladislav Shapsha confirmed the incident, describing the blaze as having ignited at an “industrial facility” at roughly 9.30 pm local time. No casualties were reported in the aftermath of the attack, Shapsha claimed.
‘s military has yet to comment on the operation, and the full scale of the damage remains unclear.
The strike is part of an apparent escalation in ’s drone campaign targeting ’s energy infrastructure.
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Vladimir Putin’s Russia has seen increasing attacks on energy infrastructure (Image: NC)
In a related incident, separate footage circulating online suggested a similar fire broke out at an oil depot in Uzlovaya, Tula Oblast.
has increasingly focused on striking ‘s fossil fuel infrastructure as an attempt to disrupt a vital funding source for the Kremlin’s war effort.
Previous drone attacks on refineries in Tuapse, Ilyich, and Novoshakhtinsk have forced temporary halts or reductions in operations.
On January 14, carried out what its military described as its “most massive” drone assault on Russian military and industrial sites, with targets up to 1,100 kilometres (620 miles) away.
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Firefighters work on the site of a damaged building after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, (Image: AP)
These strikes reportedly hit chemical plants, refineries, and ammunition depots, including at the Engels airbase, according to a source in ’s Security Service (SBU).
As steps up its efforts, ‘s seaborne petroleum exports have been affected.
Shipments fell by 9.1% in 2024, dropping to 113.7 million metric tonnes.
Meanwhile, in a retaliatory move, Russian forces launched drone and missile attacks on Kyiv in the early hours of Saturday, resulting in the deaths of three people.
Rescuers work the site of a Russian missile strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2024. (AP Ph (Image: AP)
The fatalities occurred in the Shevchenkivskyi district, where falling debris caused significant damage, Kyiv City Military Administration head Timur Tkachenko confirmed.
Smoke was seen billowing from a residential building, with broken windows and damage to a water pipeline also reported.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitalii Klitschko, said the attacks also forced the closure of the Lukyanivska metro station after its glass entrance was shattered.
The Desnyansky district experienced further debris-related incidents, though no additional casualties were reported.