Russia’s Kursk fuel depot ablaze after suspected Ukrainian drone attack (videos)

Late on 14 February, shortly before midnight, a local Telegram channel reported an explosion in the Kursk district, Russia. Later, Russian channels shared videos of a massive fire in Kursk Oblast. At about 00:30 on 15 February, Kursk Oblast Governor Roman Starovoyt reported a blaze at an oil depot, blaming the incident on a Ukrainian drone attack.

This year, Ukraine has intensified its drone attacks against the Russian oil industry, significantly disrupting fuel supplies crucial for the Russian military, while simultaneously decreasing the Kremlin’s export revenues.

"An attack by a Ukrainian UAV in the Kursk district has caused a fire at an oil depot. According to preliminary information, there are no casualties. All special services are currently working at the site. Please remain calm," Starovoyt wrote.

Two Russian Telegram channels claimed that a Ukrainian drone hit a 100-ton fuel tank at the oil depot in Kursk.

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1757915377387147332/

At the time of the news publication, Ukrainian military and special services had not commented on the information regarding an alleged drone attack on Kursk.

Ukraine targets Russia's fuel facilities

In recent months, Ukraine has targeted Russia's fuel infrastructure to complicate Russia's military logistics.

• In the early hours of 18 January, Ukrainian drones attacked an oil depot in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. 

• A vacuum distillation column at an oil refinery caught fire in Russia’s Tuapse City overnight on 25 January, according to the local Russian authorities. Local sources spotted drones in the sky before three explosions occurred, followed by the blaze. 

• On 3 February, residents of Volgograd, Russia, reported two explosions occurring approximately thirty minutes apart, with the Governor of the Volgograd region stating that Russian air defense units allegedly intercepted drones targeting an oil refinery, leading to a fire covering roughly 300 square meters.

• On 9 February, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) launched kamikaze drones targeting oil facilities in two Russian regions, hitting the Ilsky and Afipsky oil refineries in the Krasnodar region and an oil depot in the Oryol region, causing a severe fire at the Ilsky refinery and damaging a primary processing unit valued at around $50 million, according to Ukrainska Pravda's unnamed sources in the SBU.

Ukraine’s drone war across Russia cuts into oil revenues

An oil depot near Kursk airfield was on fire in December 2022 after a Ukrainian drone attack.

Read also:

• Ukraine’s drone war across Russia cuts into oil revenues
• Russia’s Black Sea port oil refinery engulfed in flames after another drone raid
• Drones attack Russia’s tactical bomber base in Rostov Oblast (updated)
• Oil depot on fire after drone attack on airfield in Russia’s Kursk: VIDEOS