A major oil depot at the Kristal plant in Engels, Russia continues to burn for the fourth consecutive day following two successful Ukrainian drone strikes, causing substantial disruption to Russian military logistics.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces initially targeted the facility on January 8, followed by a second strike on January 14 by Ukraine's 14th separate drone aviation regiment, specifically hitting the Engels-2 military airfield's oil storage facility.
The ongoing fire has resulted in the deaths of two Ministry of Emergency Situations employees, with another worker hospitalized. Local authorities have declared a state of emergency in Engels, located in Russia's Saratov Oblast.
According to reports, the attacks have destroyed three fuel tanks and damaged six others, effectively disabling storage capacity of nearly 800,000 tons. While local governor Roman Busargin claims the fire's area has decreased, residents continue to report heavy smoke in the area, despite official denials of air pollution.
The Ukrainian General Staff reports that these precision strikes have created major logistical challenges for the Russian military, notably reducing their ability to conduct attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilian targets.
The successful drone operations demonstrate Ukraine's expanding capabilities in long-range strikes, directly impacting Russia's military infrastructure and supply chains deep behind enemy lines.
As emergency services continue their efforts to extinguish the blaze, the incident marks another strategic setback for Russian military operations, with the loss of substantial fuel reserves likely to affect their operational capacity in the ongoing conflict.