Ukrainian Drone Strike Reignites Fire at Oil Depot in Voronezh Region, Russia

On the evening of January 20, drones targeted an oil depot in the town of Lisky, located in Russia’s Voronezh region. This marks the second attack on the facility in less than a week, according to the region’s governor, Alexander Gusev.

Gusev stated that air defense systems intercepted and neutralized several drones in the area. However, one drone fell on the depot, causing a fire.

Local residents reported hearing at least four explosions, with flames and smoke visible in the vicinity of the oil facility. Videos of the incident circulated widely on social media. The oil depot, owned by “Rosneft’s” subsidiary “Voronezhnefteprodukt,” houses 23 storage tanks with a combined capacity of 47,800 cubic meters.

This facility had already been targeted in a drone strike on January 15, leading to a fire that burned for several days. A state of emergency was declared in the region on January 17 due to the prolonged blaze.

Local monitoring groups report that at least three drones struck the depot on January 20, and the region experienced a broader drone assault involving at least 30 UAVs.

Earlier, Ukrainian drones targeted the Smolensk Aviation Plant, a key facility for producing and maintaining military aircraft, including Su-25 jets. The attack, confirmed by Ukrainian officials, caused fires and disruptions in Smolensk’s Zadniprovsky district. Local authorities reported power outages and water supply interruptions following the strike.