Ukraine attacks Russian energy sites with drones

Photo: Genya Savilov Agence France-Presse A Ukrainian soldier trains with a drone in the kyiv region on February 29

France Media Agency to kyiv

Published yesterday at 11:13 p.m.

• Europe

Ukraine has struck energy sites in western Russia using drones, a source in the Ukrainian defense sector told AFP, confirming Russian information and saying it was were “absolutely legitimate targets”.

These new attacks took place against a backdrop of tensions with Washington which, according to media reports, criticized kyiv's attacks against energy installations located on Russian soil and asked it to put an end to them.

Ukraine, which has been fighting the Russian invasion for more than two years, has in recent weeks intensified its strikes on Russian military and energy sites at a time when its army is in difficulty on the front in due in particular to delays in the granting of Western military aid, particularly American.

Fuel for the Russian army

Ukrainian drones hit “two oil depots” in the Smolensk region some 400 kilometers from the border, during this operation organized by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), the source told AFP.

The Russian energy giant Rosneft “lost two fuel and lubricant storage and pumping bases in Iartsevo and Razdorovo” in which “26,000 cubic meters of fuel” were contained, assured this Ukrainian source .

“The SBU continues to effectively destroy military and logistical infrastructure that supplies fuel to the Russian army in Ukraine. These facilities are and will remain our absolutely legitimate targets,” she said.

The first information on these strikes was given by the Russian authorities.

“Our region is once again being targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks,” Smolensk region governor Vasily Anokhin wrote on Telegram.

“Most likely as a result of the enemy attack on civilian energy infrastructure sites, fires broke out,” he added, saying the attack did not made victims.

He later clarified that firefighters were battling fires in the Smolensk and Yartsevo districts, which coincides with the areas mentioned by the Ukrainians.

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Industrial zone

Another drone attack on Wednesday targeted the special economic zone in the city of Lipetsk, also located some 400 km from the Ukrainian border but further south, which is home to metallurgical and pharmaceutical companies in particular, underlined on Telegram the governor of this region, Igor Artamonov.

“The criminal regime in kyiv tried to strike infrastructure in the Lipetsk industrial zone,” Artamonov said. He reported no casualties and affirmed that the living quarters had not been threatened.

The Ukrainian source did not comment on the Lipetsk attack.

Since the start of its invasion, Russia has systematically struck civilian sites in Ukraine, starting with its energy infrastructure.

During a recent campaign of strikes, 12 of Ukraine's 15 thermal power plants were damaged or destroyed, forcing authorities to impose restrictions on consumption and import electricity from the Union European.