Repeated Ukrainian drone strikes and ongoing blaze at Proletarsk oil depot spark crisis in Rostov region
A drone strike has once again targeted the oil depot in Proletarsk, Rostov region, where firefighting efforts have been ongoing since August 18, reports the Telegram channel Baza, citing unnamed sources.
"At around 5 a.m., a drone attempted to attack the depot’s territory," the source told reporters. "Preliminary information indicates that no one was injured when the drone fell," the post further reads.
Journalist Alexander Nevzorov also shared information about the new attack on his Telegram channel.
To date, no similar reports have appeared in other media, nor has there been any confirmation from official sources.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on the morning of August 23 that its air defense forces neutralized seven Ukrainian drones over two Russian regions overnight. "Four Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed over the Belgorod region, and three over the Kursk region," the statement specified.
The fire at the Rosreserve oil depot in Proletarsk, Rostov region, started on the morning of August 18. According to regional governor Vasily Golubev, the blaze was caused by the fall of debris from a downed drone. Following this, a state of high alert was declared in the Proletarsk district, and an emergency situation was announced in Proletarsk. A new explosion rocked the oil depot on the evening of August 21, exacerbating the fire, local news outlet 161.ru reported.
The Telegram channel RostovGazeta reported on August 22 that amidst the ongoing fire at the Proletarsk oil depot, there has been a surge in the sale of oil storage and refining facilities in the region.
Journalists have counted at least six oil depots and refineries listed for sale on various advertisement websites since August 18. One complex in Volgodonsk, with an area of 16.7 thousand square meters including two buildings, fuel tanks, and a railway track, is listed for 30 million rubles. Another oil depot in Azov, located on a fenced, paved plot of 0.6 hectares, is priced at 60 million rubles.