Ukrainian forces strike Russian oil depot in Smolensk region

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces, in coordination with the Unmanned Systems Forces and other Defense Force units, carried out a strike on the Yartsevskaya oil depot in Russia’s Smolensk region, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.

The attack took place overnight on Tuesday, December 31. The strike resulted in massive explosions and fires at the facility, with significant smoke observed in the area.

Preliminary reports indicate that fuel storage tanks caught fire. The depot was reportedly used to supply the Russian army.

Further details on the operation’s outcomes are being clarified.

Explosions in the Smolensk region on December 31

On the night of December 31, a drone attack took place in the town of Yartsevo, Smolensk region. As a result, a local oil depot was hit and a fire broke out at the facility.

The governor of the Smolensk region, Vasily Anokhin, said that the fire at the oil depot was caused by the fall of the wreckage of the downed drone.

Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that in April, an oil depot in the Smolensk region burned down due to a drone strike, also in the Yartsevsky district. That powerful fire at the oil depot in the Smolensk region was recorded by satellite.