Ukrainian drone hit an oil storage depot in Southern Russia

Officials say a Ukrainian drone hit an oil storage depot in southern Russia, and a large area caught fire

According to Russian media reports, a total of four oil tanks ignited and subsequently caused a fire that expanded across an area measuring 1,000 square meters (equivalent to 10,763 square feet). No injuries were reported, according to Russian authorities in the Bryansk region. According to the Bryansk governor, the drone was intercepted in close proximity to the town of Klintsy, causing its explosives to subsequently descend upon the oil depot. 

There has been a second drone strike on Russian oil facilities within two days. A major oil loading terminal in St Petersburg, Russia's second city, was subjected to an unprecedented attack on Thursday. According to Russian reports, the drone was successfully shot down without causing any damage. However, indications in Kyiv suggest that this attack, despite being far from the Ukrainian border, signifies a new phase in strategy. "Indeed, we successfully achieved our objective last night." Ukraine's Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin reported that this object travelled a distance of 1,250km (776 miles)," stated on Thursday. 

The defence ministry of Russia announced on Friday that its air defence systems successfully intercepted and destroyed a Ukrainian drone over Bryansk at 06:40 local time (03:40 GMT). 

Alexander Bogomaz, the regional head, later confirmed that two additional drones were also neutralized without causing any damage. During the prolonged duration of the fire at the Klintsy oil depot, located approximately 70km north of the Ukrainian border, thick black smoke was observed emanating and spreading over adjacent railway tracks. The governor stated that over 30 individuals were evacuated. Additionally, there were accounts of a drone attack targeting a facility involved in the production of gunpowder near the city of Tambov, situated several hundred kilometres to the northeast of the Ukrainian border.

According to a reliable informant from Ukraine's primary intelligence agency, it has been revealed to the media in Kyiv that additional assaults on military objectives within Russia are imminent. This is because a significant portion of Russia's air defence and electronic warfare systems have been deployed in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has shown minimal advancement in recent months. However, the defence ministry asserted its capture of the village of Vesele on Thursday, which is close to the ravaged city of Bakhmut in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Kyiv has not verified the assertion. 

Ukraine has issued multiple warnings about the acute lack of ammunition in its military, yet it has established a goal of manufacturing one million drones within the country this year. Mr. Kamyshin highlighted that the drone responsible for the attack on St. Petersburg last Thursday was manufactured at a cost of merely $350. 

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has recently cautioned that Russia may attempt to escalate its conflict with Ukraine by targeting a member state of NATO in the near future. "We receive frequent threats from the Kremlin, including the most recent ones targeting our allies in the Baltic states," he stated in an interview with Tagesspiegel newspaper. "Our experts estimate that within a timeframe of five to eight years, it may become feasible," he stated, expressing his intention to disrupt German society to transform the Bundeswehr into a militarily prepared force. 

On Thursday, Nato commanders declared that approximately 90,000 troops will participate in the alliance's most extensive military exercise since the Cold War. The Steadfast Defender exercise will commence next week and extend until May, encompassing all 31 member states of the alliance as well as Sweden, which is scheduled to become a member shortly. 

The military chief and civil defence minister of Sweden have recently issued a cautionary statement, urging the nation to make necessary preparations in anticipation of a potential armed conflict. "My objective is not to cause concern among individuals; rather, my aim is to encourage a greater number of individuals to contemplate their own circumstances and obligations.'' 

A report from the German Council on Foreign Relations cautioned that if the Kremlin were to cease intense combat in Ukraine, Moscow could potentially rebuild its military forces within a span of six to ten years. Consequently, the NATO alliance must be ready to defend against a potential assault from Russia.