On Sunday, Ukraine made a significant military move by targeting an oil depot in southern Russia, a facility critical for supplying the Kremlin’s troops. This strike came amidst intensified Russian assaults in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, which resulted in the deaths of five civilians and injuries to 15 others.
Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Kyiv’s security services orchestrated a drone strike on the oil depot located in Russia’s southern Kursk region early that morning. The depot, essential for the Russian military, contains 11 tanks with a combined capacity of 7,000 cubic meters (about 247,202 cubic feet). The attack triggered “powerful explosions and a fire,” likely involving containers filled with oil products. In a statement, Ukraine emphasized that its defense forces are determined to weaken the military and economic potential of the Russian occupiers, aiming to compel Russia to cease its armed aggression against Ukraine.
The same day, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the interception of seven Ukrainian drones over Russian territory during the night. A regional official confirmed that one drone strike caused a fire at the oil depot in Kursk province, resulting in three fuel tanks igniting. Acting regional Governor Alexey Smirnov reported that firefighters were actively battling the blaze, and fortunately, no injuries were reported. The Kursk region, which borders Ukraine’s Sumy province, has been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian drone and missile strikes in recent months, hitting various sites including oil depots and military infrastructure.
Simultaneously, Russian forces continued their slow but steady advance in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk province, pushing westward towards the towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that its forces had seized control of two neighboring villages, Prohres and Yevhenivka, located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of Pokrovsk. The day before, Moscow announced the capture of the nearby village of Lozuvatske, one of nearly a dozen villages Russia says it has taken in Donetsk this month. Securing full control of Donetsk, a key industrial region marred by years of conflict, remains a central goal for the Kremlin since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
The human toll of the conflict remains severe. Local Governor Vadym Filashkin reported that Russian strikes in Donetsk on Saturday and overnight left five civilians dead and 15 more wounded. Additional reports from Ukrainian officials indicated that further Russian shelling wounded more civilians, including children, in the east and south of the country. In the eastern city of Nikopol, a Russian attack wounded at least eight people, including a toddler and a 10-year-old girl, with six victims requiring hospitalization. Moreover, in a village in Ukraine’s southern Kherson province, Russian shelling injured eight more civilians, among them a 10-year-old child and two teenagers, as reported by local official Roman Mrochko.
This series of events underscores the ongoing and escalating conflict between Ukraine and Russia, marked by strategic strikes and substantial civilian casualties. The Ukrainian strike on the Russian oil depot highlights Kyiv’s efforts to disrupt Russian military logistics, while the Russian advances in Donetsk illustrate Moscow’s continued push to secure key territories. The humanitarian impact remains dire, with civilian populations bearing the brunt of the conflict.