Russian fuel tanks are burning in occupied Donetsk after Ukraine’s strike

Defense Express writes about this.

In particular, there are reports of a large-scale fire at fuel depots, the flames of which are visible within the residential areas of the temporarily occupied Donetsk. There is also footage showing burning railroad tanks on the tracks, apparently within the city.

“It is unlikely that the long-range ATACMS missiles in the M39 version with cluster warheads could have been used for this strike. At least because the hit on the burning tanks did not reach other tanks on the neighboring tracks, which would have happened if the missiles with cluster warheads had been used. And if we also take into account the fact that the distance from the temporarily occupied Donetsk to the front line is still less than 30 kilometers, then such long-range missiles as ATACMS would hardly have been needed for such a strike,” the report explains.

Accordingly, Defense Express assumes that in this story, either M142 HIMARS or JDAM-ER guided bombs could have been used to strike Russian logistics in Donetsk.

“As for the logic of the strike, the following point can be assessed. In fact, the railroad communications of the temporarily occupied Donetsk are the "entrance point" to the same Russian railroad corridor from Donbas to Crimea, along the Donetsk-Volnovakha (a branch to Mariupol) - Komysh-Zoria line, and further to Polohy and Melitopol,” the report notes.

Defense Express adds that if the attacks on this "entry point" of the Russian army's railroad logistics become more frequent, it could become a new manifestation of an asymmetric strategy to destroy the occupying army's transportation communications.

• On October 31 and November 1, there were explosions and a fire in the temporarily occupied Donetsk.