Russia claims "controlled burn" as fire rages at Engels oil depot after Ukrainian drone strike

He shared the information on Telegram.

"The process of controlled fuel burning continues. Specialists are working around the clock to take all necessary measures for liquidation," Busargin stated.

According to him, the amount of smoke and the fire area are allegedly decreasing.

"Recent air samples have also not revealed any exceeding levels of harmful substances," the official added.

It is worth noting that the fuel stored at the Kombinat Kristal oil depot, which was struck by Ukrainian forces, is intended for the Russian Engels-2 military airfield, from where Russian tactical aviation conducts strikes on Ukraine. Additionally, those aircraft may be equipped with nuclear weapons.

• On the night of January 8, a drone attack was reported in the Russian city of Engels, located in the Saratov region. Ukrainian defense forces struck a Russian oil depot in the attack.
• On January 11, the governor of the Saratov region, Roman Busargin, claimed that the area of the fire at the "industrial enterprise" in Engels had supposedly decreased by 80%.