Russia and Ukraine have been engaged in a deadly conflict for nearly four years now, with both sides engaging in conducting big strikes on eachother. In the latest round of similar attacks, Kyiv is learnt to have set fire to Russian oil depot, in response to a new hypersonic missile launch by Moscow.
Ukrainian forces launched a long-range drone strike that triggered a fire at an oil depot in Russia’s southern Volgograd region, Russian officials confirmed on Saturday (January 10, 2025). The facility, identified by Kyiv as the Zhutovskaya oil depot, is believed to supply fuel to Russian military units.
Volgograd Governor Andrei Bocharov said there were no immediate casualties, but residents living near the depot could face evacuation as damage assessments continue.
Ukraine drone strike on Russian oil depot: What happened on the battlefield?
As Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations inch forward under international pressure, the war on the ground shows no signs of easing. Fresh cross-border drone and missile strikes over the weekend underlined the fragile nature of diplomacy, with both sides escalating attacks on energy and fuel infrastructure.
Ukraine’s General Staff said the strike was part of a broader strategy to disrupt Russia’s fuel logistics and oil export revenue, which bankroll Moscow’s military operations. In a statement on Telegram, it confirmed that the forces had struck the Zhutovskaya oil depot overnight.
It added that the depot is supplying fuel to Russian forces, adding that damage was being assessed.
Why is Ukraine targeting Russia’s energy infra?
Kyiv has increasingly turned to deep strikes on Russian energy facilities, arguing that crippling oil depots and refineries weakens Moscow’s war economy. Ukrainian officials say Russia has adopted the opposite tactic, targeting Ukraine’s power grid and heating systems, in an attempt to “weaponise winter” and exert pressure on civilians.
Russia replies with a Hypersonic Missile strike in major escalation
The Volgograd strike followed one of the heaviest Russian aerial assaults in months. Overnight into Friday (January 9, 2025), Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles across Ukraine, killing at least four people in Kyiv and knocking out electricity and heating supplies in multiple regions.
Notably, Russia deployed the nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile, only the second confirmed use in nearly four years of war. The missile struck western Ukraine, a move widely interpreted as a strategic warning to NATO amid discussions on post-war security guarantees for Kyiv.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched 121 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile, 94 drones were intercepted by Ukrainian air defences. Moscow, meanwhile, claimed it neutralised 59 Ukrainian drones over its territory and Russian-occupied Crimea overnight.
Ukraine also reported striking a drone storage facility linked to Russia’s 19th Motor Rifle Division in Zaporizhzhia, a drone command-and-control point near the eastern city of Pokrovsk.
Humanitarian impact of Russian strikes in Ukraine
The United Nations issued a sharp rebuke following the latest Russian strikes. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “strongly condemned” the attacks, citing significant civilian casualties and widespread disruption of essential services.
“These attacks have deprived millions of Ukrainians of electricity, heating and water at a time of acute humanitarian need,” the UN said, stressing that strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said heating in Kyiv would be fully restored by the end of Saturday, though repairs remain complicated in areas where power grids suffered extensive damage.
Peace talks vs battlefield reality
Worth noting here is that the latest round of escalation between Moscow and Kyiv comes even as US-led diplomatic efforts and discussions with Ukraine’s allies reportedly make progress on frameworks to deter future Russian aggression in the event of a ceasefire or peace deal.
Late last month, US President Donald Trump stated that Moscow and Kyiv ‘closer than ever’ to peace despite lack of breakthrough on outstanding issue of territory, after his meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodomyr Zelenskyy.