A Ukrainian drone strike ignited a fire at an oil depot deep within Russia’s Volgograd region, officials confirmed Saturday. The attack unfolded as Russia unleashed a barrage of weaponry against Ukraine, including a powerful hypersonic missile, deliberately targeting Kyiv’s vital infrastructure.
Volgograd’s governor reported no immediate casualties, but warned residents near the depot might need to evacuate. The extent of the damage remains unclear, though the strike represents a significant blow to Russia’s logistical capabilities.
Ukraine’s General Staff swiftly claimed responsibility, stating the Zhutovskaya oil depot was a key supplier of fuel to Russian forces. Assessments of the damage are ongoing, but the intent is clear: to disrupt Russia’s war effort by cutting off essential resources.
These long-range drone strikes are a calculated strategy, aimed at diminishing the oil revenue fueling Russia’s full-scale invasion. Simultaneously, Russia is attempting to cripple Ukraine’s power grid, a tactic Ukrainian officials denounce as a deliberate attempt to “weaponize winter” and inflict suffering on civilians.
The exchange of attacks followed a devastating Russian assault on Friday, employing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles. At least four people were killed in Kyiv, and for only the second time in the nearly four-year conflict, Russia deployed a formidable hypersonic missile, striking western Ukraine as a stark message to NATO allies.
This intensified barrage coincided with reports of progress in discussions between Ukraine and its partners regarding defensive strategies, should a U.S.-led peace deal falter. The timing suggests a deliberate escalation by Russia, potentially aimed at altering the negotiating landscape.
The United Nations expressed grave concern over Friday’s attacks, highlighting the significant civilian casualties and the disruption of essential services like electricity, heating, and water. Millions of Ukrainians are now facing acute humanitarian needs as winter descends.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko pledged full restoration of heat to Kyiv by Saturday’s end. While emergency blackouts on the right bank of the Dnieper River would be gradually lifted, restoring power to the heavily targeted left bank presents a more complex challenge due to extensive grid damage.
Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed its forces targeted Ukrainian energy facilities and fuel depots using a combination of aviation, drones, missiles, and artillery. The scale of the assault was immense, involving 121 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile, with Ukrainian air defenses managing to intercept 94 drones.
In a reciprocal action, Russia claimed to have neutralized 59 Ukrainian drones over its own territory and occupied Crimea overnight. Ukraine’s military also reported successful strikes, targeting a drone storage facility in Zaporizhzhia and a command and control point near Pokrovsk.
