A Russian oil depot in the Smolensk region, located far behind the front lines, was engulfed in flames following a drone attack on December 31st. This incident highlights Ukraine's escalating campaign to disrupt Russia's oil infrastructure.
A fire has erupted at a Russian oil depot deep behind the front lines in Kursk, according to the Kyiv Independent. The oil depot in Yartsevo in Russia's Smolensk region caught fire on December 31 after a drone attack overnight. The region is approximately 500 km from Kursk. Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for comment via email.
\Why It Matters Ukraine's attack on the Russian oil depot in Smolensk is significant because it is representative of Kyiv's increasing efforts to damage Russia's oil facilities and in turn, hurt the production of their key export, which has been funding the war effort. As a result of these attacks, Russia's average daily production of crude oil in 2024 hit 1,254 metric tons per day, its lowest since 2005. President Joe Biden's authorization for Ukraine to utilize long-range weapons in deep strikes on Russian territory has allowed Kyiv to conduct strikes of this nature. \What To Know Multiple explosions in Smolensk and in the western city of Oryol were also heard overnight. Vasily Anokhin, the governor of Smolensk, later confirmed the fire in a post on Telegram and wrote that the 'wreckage of one of the unmanned aerial vehicles fell on the territory of an oil depot. As a result, a fuel spill occurred and a fire started in the fuel and lubricants.' Anokhin said that Russian forces suppressed the drone attack and that rescue services were deployed. Russia's Defense Ministry has said that 68 Ukrainian UAVs were downed overnight, with 10 in the Smolensk region, as reported by the Kyiv Post. \Located nearly 400 miles from Russia's capital, Smolensk shares borders with numerous regions in Russia and Belarus. Roman Zakharov, the head of the Yartsevo district, also confirmed the presence of the fire at the oil depot after the drone attack by forwarding Anokhin's message on Telegra
DRONE ATTACK RUSSIA OIL DEPOT UKRAINE WAR EFFORT
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