In a dramatic turn of events, a Russian oil depot in the town of Klintsy, located in the Bryansk region, caught fire after the military successfully downed a Ukrainian drone, as reported by Alexander Bogomaz, the regional governor, on Friday. Preliminary information suggests that there are no casualties, and firefighting teams are actively working to extinguish the blaze.
Governor Bogomaz explained on the Telegram messaging app that an “aeroplane-style drone” was brought down by the defense ministry using radio-electronic means. Unfortunately, the munitions dropped on the territory of the Klintsy oil depot ignited the fire. Two additional Ukrainian drones were reportedly shot down in other parts of Bryansk by air defense units.
Unverified footage circulating on social media portrays a fiery scene in the darkness at the oil depot, with what appears to be storage tanks ablaze. The TASS state news agency estimates that the fire covers an area of approximately 1,000 square meters. Emergency services have dispatched a specialized firefighting train to the scene, as reported by the RIA news agency.
Earlier on Friday, the Russian Defence Ministry had claimed to destroy a Ukrainian drone in the skies over the Bryansk region, which shares a border with Ukraine. The region has been a frequent target of drone attacks from Ukraine, according to local authorities.
Notably, a Russian-appointed official had reported a day earlier that Ukraine attempted, but failed, to target a Russian Baltic Sea oil terminal with a drone—a rare attempt to strike a facility in St Petersburg. A Ukrainian government minister was quoted by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday, asserting that Ukraine had successfully hit targets in St Petersburg using a domestically produced drone with a flight range of 1,250 km (775 miles).
The incident underscores the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides engaging in unconventional tactics, including drone warfare, as part of their ongoing conflict.