KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian drone strike ignited a fire at an oil depot in Russia’s southern Volgograd region on Saturday, following a significant Russian assault that included the launch of a powerful hypersonic missile aimed at disrupting Kyiv's power supply and heating. The strike on the oil depot has not resulted in any immediate reports of casualties, according to Volgograd Governor Andrei Bocharov, who communicated this through a Telegram post. The governor also mentioned the possible evacuation of residents living near the depot.
Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed the overnight strike on the Zhutovskaya oil depot, which supplies fuel to Russian military forces. In a Telegram statement, they indicated that the damage assessment was underway, emphasizing the strategic importance of targeting Russian energy sites to undermine Moscow's oil export revenues vital for its ongoing war efforts.
Simultaneously, Russia has increased its military pressure on Ukraine, launching a barrage of drones and missiles aimed at civilian infrastructure. Reports indicate that at least four individuals were killed in Ukraine's capital during this onslaught, which included the deployment of the advanced hypersonic missile known as the Oreshnik. This marks only the second occasion in the nearly four-year-long conflict that this type of missile has been utilized, serving as a stark warning to NATO allies supporting Ukraine.
The intensity of Russia’s attacks and the introduction of nuclear-capable weaponry followed recent developments hinting at progress in negotiations between Ukraine and its allies regarding defense strategies against potential further aggression by Moscow, especially in light of a potential U.S.-led peace agreement. Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary-General, condemned Friday's attacks, stating they caused substantial civilian casualties and deprived millions of Ukrainians of essential services during a period of significant humanitarian need.
In response to the ongoing conflict, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced that heat supply in Kyiv would be fully restored by the end of Saturday. She detailed that areas on the right bank of the Dnieper River would begin to lift emergency blackouts and transition back to scheduled outages. However, the recovery of power supply on the left bank remains challenging due to severe damage sustained from Russian attacks.
Furthermore, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Saturday that its forces had conducted strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities and fuel storage depots utilizing various offensive capabilities including aviation, drones, missiles, and artillery. The statement indicated that Ukraine had faced 121 drone attacks and one Iskander-M ballistic missile strike, with Ukrainian forces claiming to have intercepted 94 of those drones. In a reciprocal measure, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that 59 Ukrainian drones were neutralized overnight over Russia and occupied Crimea.
Aside from the attack on the Volgograd oil depot, Ukraine's military announced further strikes targeting a drone storage facility associated with Russia’s 19th Motor Rifle Division in Zaporizhzhia, southern Ukraine, and a drone command and control point near Pokrovsk in the east.
