A drone strike targeted an oil depot in Proletarsk, Rostov Oblast, Russia, in the early hours of August 18, sparking a fire, according to local officials and Russian Telegram news outlets.
Governor Vasily Golubev confirmed that Russian air defense systems intercepted the drone. However, debris from the interception caused a fire at an industrial warehouse storing diesel fuel.
“Firefighting efforts were interrupted by repeated attacks,” Golubev reported, adding that no casualties were recorded.
The incident underscores the ongoing vulnerability of Russia’s border regions to drone strikes. Rostov Oblast, which borders Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, has frequently been targeted in such attacks, according to local authorities.
The strike is part of a broader pattern of drone strikes and sabotage operations allegedly carried out by Ukrainian forces on Russian soil. These attacks typically focus on military targets, oil facilities, and industrial complexes.
The Proletarsk attack highlights the potential for these strikes to disrupt critical infrastructure and industrial activities, even when air defenses are operational.