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Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
A “massive” Ukrainian drone attack targeted an oil depot near the city of Oryol in western Russia overnight, causing a fire at the site, Oryol Oblast Governor Andrey Klychkov reported on Dec. 22.
Klychkov claimed that Russian forces downed 20 drones over Oryol Oblast targeting fuel and energy infrastructure facilities. Local authorities reported the attack at around 1 a.m. local time.
Videos posted on social media and shot by local residents show large explosions lighting up the night sky around the city. The extent of the damage caused was not immediately clear.
Klychkov claimed that no casualties or injuries had been reported as a result of the attack. He said at around 8 a.m. local time that the fire was extinguished.
The Kyiv Independent cannot verify the claims made by Russian officials, and Ukraine's military has not yet commented on the attack.
The attack comes just one week after Ukrainian drones struck the same oil depot, causing a large fire to break out. The fire reportedly burned for several days following the attack. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said after the Dec. 14 attack that the depot in the Stalnoy Kon village is among the largest oil product terminals in Russia and is “part of the Russian military-industrial complex, providing supplies of petroleum products for the Russian army."
Over the past year, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industry, which is crucial to sustain Moscow's war efforts, as well as its military hardware.
As Russia's full-scale invasion continues, Ukraine has also continued to attack Russian targets along the Russia-Ukraine border to inflict damage to the country's military supply chain.
Earlier on Dec. 21, Ukrainian drones reportedly attacked the Russian city of Kazan, located over 1,000 km from the Russia-Ukraine border. The drones hit several buildings and suspended flights in the local airport.
Martina Sapio
