Ukraine strikes oil depot in Russia's Penza Oblast, other military sites, General Staff confirms
Editor's note: The story was updated with confirmation from Ukraine's General Staff of strikes on multiple Russian military and oil production facilities.
Ukraine struck an oil depot in Russia's Penza Oblast and several other Russian military facilities on Jan. 23, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed.
Penza Oblast Governor Oleg Melnichenko reported earlier in the day that a fire had broken out in the city of Penza following a Ukrainian drone attack. The official did not specify which facility was targeted.
"The debris of (a downed drone) fell onto the territory of the oil depot, causing a fire. Emergency services are currently working at the scene," Melnichenko said in a Telegram post.
No casualties were reported, Melnichenko said, adding that mobile data restrictions were put in place amid the reported drone attack.
According to the General Staff, Ukrainian forces hit the Penzanefteprodukt oil depot, which it said supplies Russia's forces. A fire was reported at the site after the strike.
Penza is located about 545 kilometers (340 miles) from Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia.
On Jan. 23, Ukrainian forces also struck a "Podlyot" radio-location station in Russian-occupied Crimea near the settlement of Frunze, as well as groupings of Russian soldiers in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast and in Russia's Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv and Luhansk oblasts, the General Staff said.
Ukraine considers Moscow's energy sites military targets as they fund Russia's war against Ukraine.
Kyiv regularly strikes deep within Russia and Ukraine's occupied territories in an effort to diminish the Kremlin's fighting power.
An oil terminal near the village of Volna in Russia's Krasnodar Krai was struck, sparking a blaze, killing three people and injuring eight others, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev and independent media reported late on Jan. 21.
"There is currently a fire at the terminals, with four oil product tanks on fire. To deal with the consequences, 97 people and 29 pieces of equipment, including employees of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, have been mobilized," Kondratyev claimed.
