Powerful explosions reported at Shakhtarsk oil depot in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast
Editor's Note: This is a developing story.
An oil depot in the Russian-occupied city of Shakhtarsk, Donetsk Oblast, was attacked on the evening of Nov. 2, according to footage posted to social media.
Powerful explosions rocked the facility, which was struck shortly before 8 p.m. local time, the Telegram channel Exilenova-Plus reported, citing video of the alleged attack.
Air defenses continue operating in the region, according to local footage.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims at the time of publication.
Strikes on the Shakhtarsk oil depot have been reported in the past. In July 2023, a fire broke out at the facility due to an alleged missile attack. The oil depot was also reported to be in flames in October 2022.
Russian proxy officials claimed the 2022 fire was caused by Ukrainian shelling of a nearby railway station.
The city of Shakhtarsk has been under Russian occupation since 2014.
Ukraine regularly carries out strikes on Russian oil facilities, though authorities do not always comment on or confirm reported attacks in Russian and Russian-occupied territory. Kyiv considers these facilities to be valid military targets, as fossil fuel profits fund Moscow's war machine.
Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), said on Oct. 31 that Ukraine has carried out nearly 160 successful strikes against oil extraction and refining facilities across Russia in 2025.
Yuliia Taradiuk
