Ukraine reportedly strikes oil depot in Russia's Oryol Oblast
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Ukrainian drones reportedly struck an oil depot in the city of Oryol overnight on Dec. 14, causing a large fire, according to several Russian Telegram channels. Explosions were reported by residents in the city around midnight local time.
Andrey Klychkov, governor of Oryol Oblast, reported early on Dec. 14 that 11 drones were downed over the region and the fire was localized at the oil depot. No casualties were reported.
Videos posted on social media and shot by local residents appear to show a drone hitting a storage tank and causing an explosions at an oil depot in Oryol. Local residents claimed that at least one storage tank caught fire as a result of the attack, ASTRA reported. It was not immediately clear which oil depot was targeted in the attack.
The Kyiv Independent cannot verify the claims and Ukraine's military has not yet commented on the alleged attack.
The full extent of the damage was not immediately known, and it is unclear if there are any casualties as a result of the alleged attack.
As Russia's full-scale invasion continues, Ukraine has also continued to attack Russian targets along the Russia-Ukraine border to inflict damage to the country's military supply chain.
Overnight on Dec. 11, Ukrainian forces struck a Druzhba oil loading pipeline near the city of Bryansk, setting it on fire, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported.
Oryol Oblast is located in western Russia, and borders Kursk region to the southwest, Bryansk region to the northwest, and Tula region to the east.
Over the past year, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industry, which is crucial to sustain Moscow's war efforts, as well as its military hardware.
