Ukrainian drones hit Russian oil depot, sparking major fire

Tuesday 06 January 2026 - 13:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Ukrainian drones hit Russian oil depot, sparking major fire

Ukrainian drones launched widespread nighttime strikes on Russian oil facilities and industrial sites across more than 20 regions overnight from January 5 to 6, igniting fires at key energy infrastructure and prompting Moscow to activate air defenses throughout its western territories.

In the Lipetsk region, the Usmanskaya oil depot suffered a direct hit, erupting into a massive blaze at the Streletskie Khutora facility near the town of Usman. Lipetsk Governor Igor Artamonov confirmed the incident, attributing the fire to a downed drone at an industrial site. Local reports indicate the depot handles storage, sales, transshipment of petroleum products, and fuel transport services.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 129 Ukrainian drones across 21 regions between 11 p.m. on January 5 and 7 a.m. on January 6. The heaviest activity occurred in Bryansk, where 29 drones were downed, followed by 15 in Belgorod and 13 in Yaroslavl.

Early strikes were reported around 2 a.m. local time in Penza, where residents heard five to seven explosions and saw flashes in the sky, possibly targeting a ball bearings factory or the Biosintez pharmaceutical plant, though officials have not confirmed. Explosions also rattled areas near oil refineries in Yaroslavl, the Sterlitamak petrochemical plant in Bashkortostan, and Leningrad Oblast, where electronic warfare neutralized one drone. In Tver, debris from a drone initially struck a residential building, killing one person and injuring two, before authorities revised it to a gas explosion.

Ukraine has ramped up its drone campaign against Russian oil installations and military supply lines throughout 2025 into 2026, relying on homegrown long-range models. These strikes aim to disrupt Moscow's oil and gas revenues, which fund its military operations in Ukraine. In a separate nighttime clash, Ukrainian air defenses downed or jammed 53 of 61 incoming Russian attack drones, including Shahed and Gerbera types, targeting northern, central, and eastern regions, with eight hitting six sites. Russian officials note daily Ukrainian drone assaults on Moscow since early 2026, claiming 437 interceptions by January 4.