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Six-day blaze expands in Rostov oil depot after reported follow-up Ukrainian drone strike

A Ukrainian drone allegedly attacked an oil depot in Russia’s Rostov Oblast last night, where a fire that started on 18 August has reportedly expanded to kerosene tanks, raising explosion risks.
byYuri Zoria
23/08/2024
3 minute read
six-day blaze expands rostov oil depot after reported follow-up ukrainian drone strike raging russia's proletarsk oblast sixth day attack 23 august 2024 screenshots telegram/rostov glavny rostov-proletarsk-kavkaz-blaze-day-6-fire
Blaze raging at an oil depot in Russia’s Proletarsk, Rostov Oblast, for the sixth day after a Ukrainian drone attack. 23 August 2024. Screenshots: Telegram/Rostov Glavny.
Six-day blaze expands in Rostov oil depot after reported follow-up Ukrainian drone strike

At around 5 a.m. on 23 August, a Ukrainian drone allegedly “attempted” to strike the oil depot in Proletarsk, Rostov Oblast, Russia, which has been burning since 18 August after the previous drone attack. This is according to two Russian news Telegram channels, Baza and Eto Rostov Novosti, who reported “no casualties” from the drone’s “fall,” but also did not claim that it was shot down.

Overnight on 18 August, Ukrainian drones targeted the “Kavkaz” oil depot, also known as “FDKU Kombinat Kavkaz,” in Proletarsk, Rostov Oblast, which stores oil and petroleum products, including supplies for the Russian military. The facility has 74 storage tanks, and the massive fire, now in its sixth day, initially engulfed at least 22 of them, with several fuel tank explosions on 21 and 22 August intensifying the blaze.

As of the time of publication of this article, Rostov Oblast Governor Vasily Golubev had not issued any statements today. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed shooting down four drones over Belgorod Oblast and three over Kursk Oblast overnight but did not mention any in Rostov Oblast.

A day earlier, Eto Rostov Novosti warned about the potential explosion of kerosene tanks at the Proletarsk oil depot, describing it as “much more dangerous” than diesel fires that have been raging at the facility for almost a week. The fire was reportedly approaching the kerosene tanks, raising concerns about a possible explosion that could surpass previous ones in power.

six-day blaze expands rostov oil depot after reported follow-up ukrainian drone strike rostov's proletarsk least 250 km from frontline ukraine map
Rostov’s Proletarsk is at least 350 km from the frontline in Ukraine. Map: Deepstatemap.

This morning, Russian Telegram channel Rostov Glavny reported that the fire had reached the kerosene tanks in Proletarsk. The channel warned that if one tank explodes, it could trigger a chain reaction, potentially destroying the entire oil depot.

Meanwhile, Rostov Gazeta wrote that oil depot owners in Rostov Oblast are rushing to sell their assets due to threats of new attacks from Ukraine. The number of advertisements for such facilities increased after the drone strikes on the fuel storage in Proletarsk. Several oil depots and refineries in the region, including those in Volgodonsk, Azov, and Matveyev Kurgan, are now up for sale, according to the publication.

Ukraine’s strategic operations against Russia’s military logistics and supplies

This year, Ukraine has intensified its drone attacks against the Russian oil industry primarily targeting oil refineries, thus significantly disrupting fuel supplies crucial for the Russian military, while simultaneously decreasing the Kremlin’s export revenues. Lately, Ukraine has been striking Russian oil depots, supplying Russian troops with fuel and various military facilities, focusing on aerial ammunition depots at Russian airfields.

Among the latest targeted oil depots in Russia were those in Gubkinskaya, Belrogod Oblast, on 5 August, a facility near Kamensk-Shaktinsky, Rostov Oblast, on 3 August, and in Polevaya, Kursk Oblast, on 27 July. Additionally, the Ukrainian Navy destroyed the last remaining Russian railway ferry in the Kerch Strait, significantly degrading Russian fuel logistics for occupied Crimea.

The latest targeted Russian air bases were Volgograd’s Marinovka on 22 August, Savasleyka on 16 August, Lipetsk on 9 August, and Rostov’s Morozovsk on 6 August.

Also, Ukraine continues to target Russian air defense assets to remove more threats for its recently received F-16 fighter jets.

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