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Ukrainian strike reportedly destroys 800,000 tons of jet fuel at Engels military airbase supply depot

Russian strategic aviation faces severe logistics challenges as fire consumes massive fuel reserves at Engels air base, with emergency services lacking resources to extinguish the blaze.
byOlena Mukhina
12/01/2025
2 minute read
An explosion. Credit: UkrInform
Ukrainian strike reportedly destroys 800,000 tons of jet fuel at Engels military airbase supply depot

An oil depot in Engels, Saratov Oblast, Russia, remains ablaze following a nighttime drone strike on 8 January. The facility reportedly housed a record stockpile of fuel for a nearby military airfield.

The oil storage facility, named Kristall, provides fuel for Russian jets launching missile attacks against Ukraine. The attack on the facility, 600 km from Ukraine’s borders, is another episode in Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign against Russian military objects, undertaken amid the ban of Ukraine’s Western partners on using Western missiles deep in Russia.

The VChK-OGPU project, citing insider sources, reports that a drone strike on the oil depot in Engels completely destroyed three 120,000-cubic-meter tanks. Additionally, all six tanks on-site sustained significant damage.

“The tank farm, which stored approximately 800,000 tons of fuel for the military airfield, has been rendered inoperable,” the channel stated.

Russian emergency services are reportedly struggling with a critical shortage of foam concentrate needed to extinguish oil and fuel fires. Consequently, firefighters are limited to monitoring and controlling the flames as the fuel burns out.

Ukraine’s General Staff has confirmed that the attack was conducted by Ukrainian forces, stating that it was carried out by the Defence Intelligence and drone units.

“The destruction of the oil depot creates serious logistical problems for the strategic aviation of the Russian occupiers and significantly reduces their ability to strike at peaceful Ukrainian cities and civilian objects,” the General Staff explained.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that on 8 January, the country’s air defense assets shot down a total of 32 drones overnight, including 11 over the Saratov Oblast.

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