Representative image (Photo: AP)
Ukraine said on Sunday that its drones struck a major oil pipeline dispatch station and an oil depot deep inside Russia, as Kyiv continued to expand long-range attacks on Moscow’s energy infrastructure more than four years into the war.According to the Ukrainian military, drones targeted a “dispatch station of a major oil pipeline” in Russia’s Kirov region and an oil depot in the southern Rostov region near Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.The military said the pipeline transports oil from Siberia to western Russia and Belarus.Russian officials confirmed attacks in both regions. Kirov region governor Alexander Sokolov said Ukrainian drones had hit a “facility” and caused a fire. He said there were no casualties and urged residents to remain calm.In the southern Rostov region, authorities declared a state of emergency in the town of Matveyev-Kurgan after a drone strike triggered a massive fire at an oil depot, AFP reported.Town head Dina Alborova said the blaze spread across more than 3,600 square metres. Images released by local authorities showed thick black smoke billowing from the site. She added that several residential buildings and shops were affected by the fire.Meanwhile, Ukraine was dealing with the aftermath of a Russian drone strike on a warehouse belonging to courier company Nova Poshta in the city of Dnipro.Nova Poshta said one of its branches was hit and that “the building burned down completely”. The company added that no employees were injured in the attack.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike and called for stronger international support. “All these attacks must be stopped,” Zelensky said in a social media post while sharing images of the destruction.”All that’s needed is sufficient support for our defence and continued pressure on Russia,” he added.Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil and energy facilities in recent months, carrying out strikes hundreds of kilometres from the battlefield. Kyiv argued that such attacks are aimed at disrupting infrastructure that helps fund Russia’s military campaign.
