Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Oil Sites and Tankers Across Multiple Regions

Ukrainian drone attacks overnight struck oil facilities and tankers in at least three Russian regions and knocked out power in partially occupied Ukraine, local authorities said Thursday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed strikes on oil depots in the Stavropol and Tver regions, a reserve fuel facility in an undisclosed region, an oil pumping station in Bashkortostan, and a marine loading terminal in the Rostov region.

In the central Tver region, acting Governor Vitaly Korolyov said a storage tank at the Tver Oil Depot caught fire “as a result of efforts to repel” an overnight drone attack. Firefighters contained the blaze by 7 a.m. local time, and there were no injuries.

Stavropol region Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said an unspecified “industrial facility” caught fire in the attack, also without injuries. An hour later, he said the flames reached combustible tanks, leading to an evacuation of nearby homes.

Authorities in the southern Rostov region said two oil tankers were damaged in a drone attack in the Sea of Azov, with one still on fire as of 7 a.m. Governor Yury Slyusar said there were no injuries and both crews were brought to safety.

Ukraine’s military said it struck 12 Russian tankers, one tugboat, and one cargo ship in the Sea of Azov as part of efforts to “reduce the Russian aggressor’s military and economic potential.” The vessels were used to supply fuel to Russian military groups and to transport oil products while bypassing international sanctions, Ukraine’s General Staff stated.

In annexed Crimea, Moscow-backed authorities said one person was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted 73 Ukrainian drones across Russia and in annexed Crimea between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

In the partially occupied Kherson region in southern Ukraine, Kremlin-installed authorities said air attacks “fully or partially” knocked out power across the Russian-held territory.