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Illustrative photo of flames come out of the tower of an oil refinery plant. (Christophe Gateau/picture alliance via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

A fire broke out at an oil depot in the city of Proletarsk in Russia's Rostov Oblast following a drone strike overnight on Aug. 18, Governor Vasily Golubev and Russian Telegram news channels reported.

Rostov Oblast borders Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, and is a frequent target drone attacks, according to the local authorities.

According to Golubev, Russian air defense units repelled the drone attack, but falling debris struck an industrial warehouse and caused a diesel fuel fire.

Firefighting efforts were interrupted by repeated attacks, Golubev said. No casualties were reported.

Later on Aug. 18, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed the attack in a post on Facebook.

"Oil and petroleum products, which were supplied to the Russian occupation army were stored here," it wrote.

Ukrainian forces regularly conduct drone strikes and sabotage acts on Russian territory, targeting military assets, oil refineries, and industrial facilities.

Russia’s oil export revenues continue to drop for 4th straight month
Russia’s revenues from oil exports in June were about $16.7 billion, a 1.2% drop from the previous month. Earnings from oil exports have continued to decline since a high of almost $19 billion in February 2024.
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