Russia claims to have downed 68 UAVs; an oil depot in Smolensk region catches fire

Roman Zakharov, the head of the Yartsevsky district in the Smolensk region, reported a suspected attack.

“Ukrainian UAVs targeted a fuel and energy facility. The enemy’s attack caused fires,” he stated.

According to Zakharov, efforts to extinguish the open flames are ongoing.

He later deleted his post.

At 4:50 a.m., the governor of the Smolensk region, Vasily Anokhin, wrote that Russian air defense had allegedly repelled an attack by Ukrainian UAVs. 

He stated that, according to preliminary information, the wreckage of one of the unmanned aerial vehicles landed on the oil depot, causing a fuel spill and igniting fuel and lubricants.

Russian Defense Ministry's report

The Russian Ministry of Defense said that air defense forces destroyed 68 drones overnight.

In particular, 25 were shot down over the territory of Bryansk region, 17 over the territory of the occupied Crimea, 11 over the territory of Krasnodar region, 10 over the territory of Smolensk region, two over the territory of Tver region, and one each over the territory of Rostov, Kursk and Kaluga regions.

• Explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol on the night of December 31: Russian-installed authorities claimed an attack by drones from the air and sea.