Ukrainian drone attack sparks massive fire at Russian fuel depot in Kursk region
In a brazen night-time assault, drones targeted a Russian oil depot in the village of Polevaya, igniting three fuel tanks and setting off a large-scale emergency response. According to the Russian news outlet ASTRA, the attack occurred on the night of July 28.
Over 80 rescuers and 32 units of specialized equipment were deployed to combat the blaze. By morning, firefighters had only managed to extinguish the fire on one of the tanks.
Eyewitness reports from the scene describe a volatile night in the Kursk region, with drones swarming the oil depot belonging to the enterprise "Polevaya." Local reports also mention a concurrent fire in a residential house in the Medvensky district.
Acting Governor of Kursk, Alexey Smirnov, later confirmed the drone attack.
"Last night, Ukrainian drones attacked an oil depot in the Kursk region, setting three fuel tanks on fire," Smirnov stated. "No residents or workers were harmed. We have mobilized 82 rescuers and 32 emergency vehicles to fight the fire. Currently, we have extinguished one tank's fire, and efforts are ongoing for the others."
Smirnov also reported additional incidents in the Medvensky district, where debris from a downed drone sparked a house fire. According to him, no one was injured. In the town of Sudzha, a residential building was reportedly hit by an explosive device dropped from a drone, injuring a local woman who is now receiving care at the Sudzhanskaya District Hospital.
This attack follows a similar incident on July 22, when drones targeted the city of Tuapse in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, with the local oil refinery believed to be the primary target.