SBU drones behind overnight strike on Russian oil depot in Rostov Oblast, source says

Drones launched by Ukraine's State Security Service were responsible for an overnight attack on an oil depot in Russia's Rostov Oblast, an intelligence agency source told the Kyiv Independent on July 13.

"Last night turned out to be very hot for the Russian oil depot in the Tsimlyansky district of Rostov (Oblast)," they said.

"According to our information, it was SBU drones that (caused the explosion) at the facility where various brands of gasoline and diesel fuel with a total volume of 12,500 cubic meters were stored."

Rostov Oblast Governor Vasily Golubev earlier talked about an attack on the facility, reporting a large fire but claiming there were no casualties.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed air defenses shot down two drones over Rostov Oblast, one over Belgorod Oblast, and one over Kursk Oblast.

"SBU drones continue to implement 'economic sanctions' against Russia's energy complex, which is providing for the war in Ukraine," the intelligence agency source said, adding: "And these 'sanctions' will only increase."

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

A total of over 30 Russian oil refineries, terminals, and depots were targeted by Ukrainian special operations forces as of late June, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russian kamikaze drone flies deep inside Belarus, whereabouts unknown

The Belarusian Hajun monitoring group reported it had flown 250 kilometers “over Gomel and Zhlobyn, entered the Mogilev region, and then the Minsk region.” It also said a Belarusian Mi-24 helicopter and Su-30 fighter jet were scrambled to intercept the drone before it “presumably flew to Vitebsk.”

The Kyiv IndependentChris York