Drone attacks caused fires overnight on June 20 at oil depots in Russia's Republic of Adygea and Tambov Oblast, Russian authorities claimed.
According to Russia's Defense Ministry, air defense shot down six drones over the Republic of Adygea in the Caucasus mountains, three over Bryansk Oblast, three over Krasnodar Krai, one over Rostov Oblast, one over Belgorod Oblast, and one over Oryol Oblast.
Murat Kumpilov, head of the Republic of Adygea, claimed that the drone attack started a fire at an oil depot in the village of Enyem. The fire covered an area of about 400 square meters and was extinguished at 6 a.m. local time, he added.
An oil tank also caught fire after an explosion on the territory of the Platonovskaya oil depot in Tambov Oblast, according to regional head Maksim Yegorov.
"The incident was allegedly caused by an unmanned aerial vehicle," Yegorov said.
Wreckage of the drone was also reportedly found in the region's Pervomaisky municipal district.
Russian Telegram channels shared videos showing burning oil depots and rising smoke. No casualties were reported.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims. The Ukrainian military is yet to comment on the attacks.
In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industry, the profits of which fuel Moscow's war efforts.
The previous attacks have been linked to Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) or the Armed Forces.
Drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) hit two oil depots in Russia's Rostov Oblast overnight on June 18, a source in security and defense forces told the Kyiv Independent.
Overall, the SBU carried out 20 successful attacks against Russian oil industry facilities in various regions, the source said.
Chris York
(Updated: )
