Ukraine drones set oil depot ablaze in Russia's Rostov, attack distant Kirov region

Kyiv (Reuters): A Ukraine drone attack sparked a fire at an oil depot in Russia's southern Rostov region, while drones also attempted to attack the Kirov region, some 1,500 km (930 miles) northeast of the border with Ukraine, authorities said on Wednesday.

"There are no casualties," Rostov governor Vasily Golubev said on the Telegram messaging app about the attack in the Kamensky district. "Firefighters are extinguishing the fire."

Russian air defence units destroyed four drones over the region overnight, the Russian defence ministry said, without mention of an attack on the depot.

Earlier, the Baza Telegram channel, which is close to Russia's security services, said three tanks were burning at the Kamensky oil depot after two drones fell on the area.

Videos posted on Russian social media showed what looked like large tanks ablaze at night. Reuters was able to identify one of the videos as having been taken in Rostov's Kamensky district.

A fuel storage depot in the Kamensky district was attacked in early August as well.

Wednesday's attack came while tanks were still on fire at another oil depot in Rostov's Proletarsk district, about 10 days after a Ukrainian attack.

Separately, drones attacked an oil products depot on Wednesday in the town of Kotelnich in Russia's Kirov region, regional governor Alexander Sokolov said.

Sokolov said the attack did not result in any casualties or fires at the depot.

He said two drones were shot down, while three fell on the territory of the depot, caught fire but were quickly extinguished. The fire did not reach the fuel stores.

VORONEZH

Alexander Gusev, the governor of Voronezh, which borders Ukraine, said debris from a Ukraine-launched drone over the region had sparked a fire "near explosive objects" but that there had been no detonation.

The fire was doused, Gusev said on Telegram, and residents were returning to homes in two settlements from which they had been evacuated.

The Russian defence ministry said eight attack drones were destroyed over the Voronezh region, but gave no details.

Russian officials often do not disclose the full extent of damage inflicted by Ukrainian attacks.

Both sides deny targeting civilians in the 30-month-old war launched by Russia's full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbour. Kyiv says its air attacks aim to destroy energy, transport and military infrastructure key to Moscow's war effort.