The drones were shot down by air defense systems, Vasyl Golubev said. Photo: Serhiy Venyavskyi
On Sunday morning, Ukrainian drones targeted an oil storage facility in Russia’s southern Rostov region, sparking a massive fire, according to the local governor. The attack marks another escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
Videos circulating on social media captured the intense flames and thick plumes of smoke billowing from the facility, located in the town of Proletarsk, approximately 250 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
“Russian defense forces managed to repel a drone attack in the southeast of Rostov. However, debris from the downed drones fell on the industrial storage facility, igniting the fire,” Rostov Governor Vasili Golubev stated on Telegram.
Efforts to contain the blaze were briefly halted after a second drone strike hit the area, but no casualties were reported. Firefighting operations resumed shortly afterward, according to local authorities.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that five Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight, including two over the Rostov region.
Since the beginning of the conflict in 2022, Ukraine has frequently targeted oil and gas facilities deep within Russian territory, as part of what Kyiv describes as legitimate retaliation for attacks on its own energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently praised his forces for successfully hitting military targets, including oil installations in Russia, arguing that such actions are essential to ending the war on fair terms.
This drone strike comes as Ukraine continues its unprecedented cross-border offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, where Kyiv claims to have gained control over 80 settlements.
