Oil depot on fire in Russia's Smolensk region following drone attack

Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

An oil depot in the Yartsevo district of Russia's Smolensk region caught fire following a drone attack overnight on Dec. 31, according to regional authorities.

"A Ukrainian drone attack targeted a fuel and energy facility, resulting in fires," Yartsevo district head, Roman Zakharov, wrote on his Telegram channel. Emergency response teams have reportedly been dispatched to the scene to extinguish the flames.

The Kyiv Independent could not immediately verify Zakahrov's claims.

Multiple explosions were heard in the Smolensk region and the city of Oryol in western Russia, according to several Telegram monitoring channels. Authorities have not provided further details on casualties or the extent of the damage.

Smolensk region shares borders with several Russian and Belarus regions and is located approximately 390 kilometers from Moscow.

In total, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have downed 68 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Of the drones, 25 were downed over Bryansk Oblast which borders Ukraine, 17 were shot down over occupied Crimea, 11 over Krasnodar Krai, 10 over Smolensk Oblast, two over Tver Oblast, and one each over Rostov, Kursk, and Kaluga oblasts.

Ukraine strikes ‘only oil refinery operating’ in Russia’s Rostov Oblast, military says

Initially, SBU drones attacked the facility to distract Russian air defenses, providing a “window” for Ukrainian missiles to strike the facility, an SBU source said.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek