Ukrainian drone reportedly attacks oil depot in Russia's Chuvashia for first time

A Ukrainian drone attacked an oil depot in Cheboksary in Russia's Chuvashia Republic on the morning of March 9, Governor Oleg Nikolaev reported.

Russian Telegram channels claimed that this is the first drone attack on Chuvashia since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

The Burevestnik oil depot lies over 900 kilometers (559 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Nikolaev said that the oil depot was under reconstruction. No casualties were reported.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, overnight, Russian air defense shot down 52 drones over Belgorod Oblast, 13 over Lipetsk Oblast, nine over Rostov Oblast, eight over Voronezh Oblast, three over Astrakhan Oblast, one over Ryazan Oblast, one over Kursk Oblast and one over Krashodar Krai.

The Russian Telegram channel Astra reported that Ukrainian drones also targeted oil refineries in Lipetsk and Ryazan oblasts.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims. The Ukrainian military has not commented on Russian reports.

Ukraine considers Russian oil facilities to be valid military targets, as fossil fuel profits supply Moscow's war machine. The Ukrainian military has launched repeated attacks against Russian refineries with long-range drones since 2022.

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The Kyiv IndependentNatalia Yermak