Satellite imagery from Planet Labs confirms at least one fuel reservoir was completely destroyed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Rosneft-owned Penzanefteprodukт oil depot in the Russian city of Penza, Radio Svoboda reports.
The strike occurred in the early hours of 23 January, when multiple explosions were heard around 4:00 am local time. Residents immediately observed black smoke and flames rising from the facility.
"Several neighboring tanks may be damaged – burn marks are visible next to them in the image from a fire that took several days to extinguish," according to the satellite analysis published by Radio Svoboda.
The fire at the facility burned for more than two days. Radio Svoboda reports that continued operations at the base in its current state appear unlikely given the extent of the damage.
Local Russian authorities claimed the explosions resulted from "falling debris," but the actual destruction pattern indicates direct hits and detonation of drone warheads, according to the analysis.
Penza is located more than 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The Penzanefteprodukт depot is part of Rosneft's structure and serves as a critical logistics hub for Russian occupation forces.
The facility is one of the largest in the region, supplying fuel to both the civilian sector and military units directly involved in the war against Ukraine. The depot's territory contains 18 reservoirs for storing petroleum products, according to Radio Svoboda. The total capacity of the tank farm is approximately 21,600 cubic meters, using vertical steel tanks of the RVS type.
The depot functions as a regional transfer and distribution point, receiving products by rail and road transport. It is connected to trunk oil pipelines along the Kuibyshev-Bryansk route, enabling supply from the pipeline network.
