Ukraine blows up fuel depot feeding Russia’s warplanes — still burning three days later

A large-scale fire continues to burn for the third straight day at the Kristall oil depot in Engels, Russia's Saratov Oblast, following a Ukrainian drone strike on the night of 6 June. The depot is reported to supply fuel to the Engels-2 airbase, which houses Russia’s Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers used in cruise missile attacks on Ukraine.

Satellite imagery from PlanetLabs shows today’s smoke plume stretching nearly 15 kilometers, visible from multiple areas of the city.

According to Ukraine’s General Staff, drone strikes targeted two Russian military airfields—Engels and Dyagilevo. At least three fuel storage tanks were reportedly damaged in Engels.

Despite the visible impact, Saratov regional authorities claim that air quality in residential areas remains within safe limits. However, Russian Telegram channels report thick black smoke rising over Engels.

Ukraine renews strikes on Russian fuel infrastructure

This marks the first Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian fuel depot in months, signaling a renewed campaign against Russian military logistics. The 6 June attack on Engels came alongside strikes on military and industrial targets across at least six Russian regions.

The broader strategy targets fuel depots, airfields, and defense infrastructure deep inside Russian territory, aiming to disrupt operations supporting the war in Ukraine.

Engels oil depot previously targeted in January

The Kristall depot, located over 600 km from Ukraine, has been targeted before. In January 2025, Ukrainian drones struck the facility twice:

• On 8 January, three fuel tanks with a capacity of 120,000 cubic meters each were destroyed, and six more were damaged. The estimated fuel loss reached 800,000 tons.
• A second drone strike followed on 14 January, while fires from the initial attack were still burning.

Governor Roman Busargin confirmed a fire broke out at “one of the industrial enterprises in Engels” after the recent strike but did not name the site. NASA’s FIRMS satellite system detected thermal anomalies consistent with the reported fire, further confirming the incident.