Key developments on Jan. 29:
- Ukrainian drones hit Russian missile arsenal, oil pumping station in Tver Oblast, SBU source claims
- '4 out of 4' — Russian Lukoil oil refinery struck by multiple Ukrainian drones, military intelligence source claims
- Russian assault intensity declines, focuses on Pokrovsk sector, monitoring group reports
- Australian POW feared executed by Russia is alive, Penny Wong says
Ukrainian drones hit the Andreapol oil pumping station and missile arsenal in Russia's Tver Oblast overnight on Jan. 29, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.
Drone strikes were reported by local officials across several Russian regions overnight, including Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk, Tver, and Bryansk oblasts, causing fires and prompting air defense responses.
Drones operated by the SBU and the Special Operations Forces attacked the oil pumping station, which is part of the Baltic Pipeline System-2 operated by Russian state-owned oil pipeline company Transneft.
According to the source, the filtration pumping area and additive tanks at the station were damaged. The station is located around 750 kilometers (466 miles) north of Ukrainian border.
A spill of oil products and a fire were reported at the station.
"The Russians even had to shut down the main pipeline that supplies oil to the Ust-Luga terminal in Leningrad Oblast," the source said.
Ukrainian drones also hit the 23rd missile arsenal of the Russian Defense Ministry in Tver Oblast. The depot and three buildings of the military unit came under the attack, the source claimed.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these reports.
'4 out of 4 '— Russian Lukoil oil refinery struck by multiple Ukrainian drones, military intelligence source claims
A Lukoil oil refinery in the Russian oblast of Nizhny Novgorod was struck by multiple Ukrainian drones in the early hours of Jan. 29, a military intelligence (HUR) source told the Kyiv Independent.
According to the HUR source, the Lukoil oil depot in the city of Kstovo was targeted by four drones, all of which struck their target and caused "significant damage."
They added the refinery "supports the activities of the Russian occupation forces" and was "attacked at around midnight local time."
The refinery is located around 800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims, but overnight local Telegram channels reported that drones targeted the Lukoil Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery, resulting in a large fire.
Video footage circulating online showed flames at the facility, which local monitoring channels identified as the likely target of the attack.
Governor Gleb Nikitin confirmed that air defense systems had shot down multiple drones, and fragments from the intercepted unmanned aerial vehicles fell on the industrial site. No injuries were reported.
Boldizsar Gyori
Russian assault intensity declines, focuses on Pokrovsk sector, monitoring group reports
The intensity of Russian assault operations in Ukraine is declining but remains high, according to an analysis by the monitoring group DeepState, published on Jan. 28.
Russian forces have concentrated 44% of their attacks in the Pokrovsk sector, a crucial logistics hub for Ukrainian troops in Donetsk Oblast.
The peak intensity of Russian offensives was recorded in the second half of December, following a surge in attacks that began in late November.
Although the pace has slowed somewhat since the New Year, DeepState recorded the following attack numbers: 5,205 in November, 6,247 in December, and 4,304 in January as of Jan. 27.
Despite suffering heavy losses, Russian forces have reportedly been able to replenish their combat strength, allowing them to sustain attacks across multiple front-line sectors.
As part of this effort, Russia has intensified assaults near Pokrovsk, deploying small groups in an attempt to encircle Ukrainian troops, Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces, said on Jan. 27.
The town of Kurakhove has also been a target. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on Jan. 6 that its forces had fully captured the settlement, though Ukraine has not confirmed this.
Russian forces also claimed on Jan. 26 to have captured Velyka Novosilka, a strategically significant settlement in the western part of Donetsk Oblast. Ukraine's 110th Mechanized Brigade acknowledged withdrawing from parts of the village to avoid encirclement.
Australian POW feared executed by Russia is alive, Penny Wong says
An Australian volunteer soldier fighting for Ukraine who was reported to have been executed by Russian forces after being taken prisoner is alive, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Jan. 29.
"The Australian government has received confirmation from Russia that Oscar Jenkins is alive and in custody," she said in comments reported by The Guardian.
Jenkins is serving in the 402nd Separate Rifle Battalion, which is part of Ukraine's 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade, the Ukrainian investigative journalism outlet Slidstvo.Info reported on Jan. 17.
He went missing on Dec. 16 in 2024 while on a combat mission near the village of Mykolaivka in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine's Ground Forces Command told the outlet.
In a video that emerged on Russian Telegram channels in late December, Jenkins is seen in military fatigues, interrogated by Russian captors.
The man behind the camera asks the captive about his name and background and whether he wants to live while beating him over the head.
Unverified reports began circulating in mid-January that the soldier was executed by his Russian captors, prompting Australian officials to make urgent inquiries to Russia about his whereabouts.
"We still hold serious concerns for Mr. Jenkins as a prisoner of war," Wong said, adding: "We have made clear to Russia in Canberra and in Moscow that Mr. Jenkins is a prisoner of war and Russia is obligated to treat him in accordance with international humanitarian law, including humane treatment."
Kate Tsurkan
