Ukraine Attacks Fuel Depot for Russian Bombers

On Wednesday, January 19, the Ukrainian army announced that in a nighttime attack deep within Russian territory, it targeted an oil depot in the city of Engels, which is a base for Russian nuclear bombers. The governor of the region also stated that the cities of Engels and Saratov, located on either side of the Volga River, were subjected to a 'widespread' drone attack, resulting in a fire at an unspecified industrial site. He mentioned that there were no reports of casualties. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army reported multiple explosions and a large fire at the 'Crystal' oil depot, claiming that fuel for the military airport 'Engels-2' was supplied from this depot. In a statement on Telegram, the Ukrainian army stated that this attack creates 'serious logistical problems for the strategic aviation of the Russian occupiers' and significantly reduces their ability to attack Ukrainian cities and civilian locations. Alexander Kamyshin, an advisor to the President of Ukraine, wrote on the social media platform 'X' that the country employed 'long-range capabilities' in this attack and noted that the weapons used were not supplied by the West. Since last year, Ukraine has begun firing ballistic missiles made in the United States and the United Kingdom at Russia, which responded by launching its new hypersonic missile named 'Tsirkon' at Ukraine. The Kremlin has vowed to retaliate whenever Ukraine uses Western long-range weapons to strike Russia. Russian news reports also indicate that the fire in Engels occurred at an oil facility. Videos and photos shared on social media show large flames and thick clouds of smoke in the sky. Roman Busargin, the governor of the region, wrote on Telegram that 'there are enough forces and resources to extinguish the fire.' In this context, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that 11 Ukrainian drones were shot down over the Saratov region and 21 others over other regions of Russia and the Sea of Azov during Tuesday night, but did not mention any damage incurred. Some residents of Engels reported hearing dozens of explosions on Telegram. Officials advised the public not to panic and instructed them not to take photos or videos of the drones. The 'Engels 2' airbase is located about 730 kilometers southeast of Moscow and hundreds of kilometers away from the Ukrainian border. In January 2023, three Russian Air Force personnel were killed due to the downing of a drone there. Zelensky expressed hope for U.S. cooperation with Ukraine. Russian attacks on Ukraine with '90 drones' left one dead. Conflict in the Black Sea, Ukraine: A Russian helicopter was shot down by a drone. Exchange of war prisoners between Russia and Ukraine; Zelensky thanked the UAE. Ukraine: We shot down 21 out of 43 Russian drones. Russia has targeted Ukraine's energy system with missile attacks. Putin says he is willing to compromise with Trump on Ukraine.