Source: SBU drones behind nighttime attack on Russian oil depot in Rostov Oblast

Drones belonging to the Ukrainian State Security Service were responsible for a nighttime attack on an oil depot in Russia’s Rostov Oblast, an intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent on July 13.

“Last night was very hot at the Russian oil depot in Tsimlyansky district of Rostov Oblast,” they said.

“According to our information, it was SBU drones that caused the explosion at the facility where various brands of gasoline and diesel with a total volume of 12,500 cubic meters were stored.”

The governor of Rostov Oblast, Vasily Golubev, had previously spoken of an attack on the facility and reported a large fire, but claimed that there were no casualties.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that air defenses shot down two drones over Rostov Oblast, one over Belgorod Oblast and one over Kursk Oblast.

“SBU drones continue to enforce ‘economic sanctions’ against the Russian energy complex that is funding the war in Ukraine,” the intelligence source said, adding: “And these ‘sanctions’ will only increase.”

Ukrainian forces regularly carry out drone strikes and acts of sabotage on Russian territory, targeting military assets, oil refineries and industrial facilities.

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, by the end of June, a total of more than 30 Russian oil refineries, terminals and depots had been attacked by Ukrainian special forces.

Russian kamikaze drone flies deep in Belarus, whereabouts unknown

The Belarusian monitoring group Hayun reported that it flew 250 kilometers “over Gomel and Zhlobyn, entered the Mogilev region and then the Minsk region.” It also said a Belarusian Mi-24 helicopter and a Su-30 fighter jet were alerted to intercept the drone before it “presumably flew to Vitebsk.”