A Ukrainian drone attack on the city of Azov in Russia’s Rostov Region caused a major fire at an oil storage facility on Tuesday morning, according to officials.
The incident was first reported by Governor Vasily Golibev, who said nobody had been injured and assured residents that the fire had been contained.
The Emergencies Ministry said around 200 firefighters had been deployed to tackle the blaze, which covered an area of about 3,200 square meters. The ministry released footage showing personnel dealing with the situation.
Unconfirmed reports said residents in Azov had heard four or five explosions early in the morning. The city of over 80,000 is located on the coast of the eponymous sea about 25km west of Rostov-on-Don, the regional capital.
The region itself is relatively close to Kiev-controlled territory and is subjected to regular kamikaze drone raids. Last week, Ukraine targeted the area with a massive wave of robotic aircraft. The Russian Defense Ministry reported shooting down 70 drones overnight.
Ukrainian military officials have claimed they have “no choice” but to target Russian energy infrastructure due to the difficulties that their forces are experiencing on the front line.
The Russian military has been targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure that it perceives as crucial for Kiev’s military capability. According to Ukrainian officials, some 80% of the country’s thermal power plant capacity has been disabled by Russian missile strikes.