SBU Drones Fly 500 km, Ignite Pskov Oil Depot as 113-UAV Swarm Strikes Russia
AI Analysis
Ukrainian drones, reportedly operated by the SBU, conducted a long-range strike on the Velikolukskaya oil depot in Russia's Pskov region, igniting a large fire. Russia claims to have intercepted 113 UAVs overnight, highlighting the intensifying drone warfare between the two nations.
Key Takeaways
- Ukrainian SBU drones struck the Velikolukskaya oil depot, located 500 km from the launch point, targeting Russian energy infrastructure.
- The attack caused significant damage, with multiple explosions and a large-scale fire reported at the depot.
- Russia claimed its air defenses intercepted 113 Ukrainian drones overnight, some aimed at energy targets.
- The oil depot is strategically significant as it supplies fuel for Russian military operations.
- This strike is part of Ukraine's broader strategy to disrupt Russian logistics and energy infrastructure supporting its war effort.
Why It Matters
This incident underscores the growing role of drones in modern warfare, particularly their use in long-range precision strikes on critical infrastructure. It highlights Ukraine's evolving counter-offensive strategy to weaken Russia's logistical and operational capabilities, while also exposing potential gaps in Russian air defense systems.
Drones from the Security Service of Ukraine’s (SBU) Alpha Special Operations Center flew nearly 500 kilometers to strike the Velikolukskaya oil depot in Russia’s Pskov region, according to Kyiv Post sources within the SBU.
The Velikiye Luki oil facility stores diesel, gasoline, and other petroleum products for distribution to gas stations, businesses, and transport companies. This depot, located 50 km from the Belarusian border, is owned by Pskovnefteprodukt LLC.
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The site was previously targeted by drones in April 2024.
“The SBU continues to methodically target facilities that supply the Russian army with fuel. Destroying oil depots directly impacts the enemy’s ability to conduct combat operations, advance, and transfer reserves,” the source added.
Local reports said at least four explosions were recorded at the depot following precise drone strikes, triggering a large-scale fire. Employees of nearby enterprises were evacuated.
Initially, Russian officials said Ukrainian drones struck an oil facility overnight, igniting a fire in a storage tank at a refinery hundreds of kilometers from Moscow.
Russia’s defense ministry said Thursday that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed 113 Ukrainian drones during the night. Some of them, officials said, were aimed at energy targets.
One drone attack hit an oil refinery in Velikiye Luki, about 500 kilometers (about 311 miles) west of Moscow, triggering a blaze in an oil storage tank, regional governor Mikhail Vedernikov said.
The fire was contained, and there were no reported injuries among civilians or refinery staff.
“Protective nets had been erected over the tanks, but according to eyewitness reports, several drones broke through, triggering a large fire,” an OSINT analyst told ASTRA.
The strike came just hours after Russia and Ukraine wrapped up two days of US-brokered talks in Geneva, aimed at finding a settlement to nearly four years of intense fighting. Both sides described the discussions as “difficult,” with no breakthrough announced.
Ukraine, which has endured near-daily Russian missile and drone attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion, has increasingly responded with long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries, ports, and energy infrastructure – targets seen as critical to financing Moscow’s war effort.
Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.