An overnight strike on Lyudinovo in Kaluga region ignited a key oil facility supplying the Putin war machine, then the Uzlovaya oil depot in Tula region went up in flames too
Russian oil and fuel depots hits by Ukrainian strikes
Some Russian fuel depots have gone up in flames after being targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks.
The strikes happened shortly before Donald Trump returns to the White House, amid signs he will use oil sanctions to strong-arm Vladimir Putin to agree to peace in the war. An overnight strike on Lyudinovo in Kaluga region ignited a key oil facility supplying the Putin war machine.
The Uzlovaya oil depot in Tula region was also engulfed in flames after an attack by Ukraine. This followed a double strike by Ukrainian drones on an aviation fuel base in Engels, Saratov region, where fire was raging ten days after the initial hit.
The inferno has cut fuel supplies for Putin’s strategic nuclear bomber aircraft – Tu-95 and Tu-160 – based at nearby Engels-2 air base. Another key oil depot at Liski in Voronezh region continued to burn the day after it was hit by Ukrainian drones.
Ukraine has already limited Russian oil exports with repeated strikes on oil facilities. The latest dramatic attacks comes as the incoming Trump administration has strongly hinted at using oil as a key bargaining chip in pressuring Putin to agree to a ceasefire in the war.
Trump’s pick for US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made clear he was ready to see higher oil prices to put pressure on Kremlin oil companies whose sanctions-evading revenues are funding the Russian war. He said: “If any officials in the Russian Federation are watching this confirmation hearing, they should know that if I’m confirmed and if President Trump requests it, as part of his strategy to end the Ukraine war, I will be 100 per cent on board from taking sanctions up, especially on the Russian oil majors to levels that would bring the Russian Federation to the table.”
He made clear outgoing Joe Biden had failed to pressure Putin with sufficient sanctions. “I believe that the sanctions were not fulsome enough,” said Bessent. Russia today caused four deaths in an overnight strike on Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
One victim in the Shevchenkivskyi district was burned alive in his car, according to reports. And at least 8 people were injured in a Russian strike on residential buildings and private transport in Zaporizhzhia.
Putin’s forces hit Ukraine with two Iskander missiles – both shot down – and two North Korean KN-23 missiles. This followed a strike on Friday on Kryvyi Rih where the death toll today rose to five. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed today it had downed 46 Ukrainian drones in overnight strikes.