Ukraine shoots down series of UAVs, attacks oil depots in Russian territory

Ukrainian soldiers participate in exercises near the Belarus border (Photo: Reuters).

Reuters quoted a Ukrainian military source on January 18 as saying that Kiev forces had attacked an oil and gas facility in St. Petersburg with a UAV.

"There have been confirmed attacks. This is a new phase in our operations in the area," the source confirmed.

A Russian-appointed official in southeastern Ukraine said earlier that Ukraine tried and failed to target a Russian Baltic Sea oil port with drones overnight.

St Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, is about 850km from the nearest Ukrainian border.

Nearly two years since Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, the attack on the St Petersburg oil depot shows Kiev is looking to strike back, including at targets deep inside Russian territory.

Russian border regions such as Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod, as well as the capital Moscow, have been frequently targeted by drones and missiles since the conflict broke out in Ukraine.

Russian officials have accused Kiev of plotting sabotage against major Russian infrastructure, including nuclear power plants.

So far, the attacks on Russian territory have caused only minor damage, but the Kremlin describes them as "desperate acts" aimed at covering up Kiev's failures on the battlefield.

President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine's offensive efforts were aimed at destabilizing Russia and threatening its people. Putin warned of increased attacks on military targets in Ukraine.

Kyiv is working to develop and produce longer-range attack drones to narrow the gap in strike capabilities with Russia.

Moscow regularly conducts airstrikes on Ukraine with missiles and drones.

The Ukrainian military said on January 18 that Russia launched 33 drones and two missiles into Ukraine overnight. Ukrainian air defense forces claimed to have shot down 22 Russian drones.

"The main areas of attack were the south and north. Ukrainian air defense and air force shot down 22 enemy drones. Several other drones failed to reach their targets," the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement on Telegram.

Ukraine's military said Russian drones had struck residential areas in the southern city of Kherson, where several buildings were damaged and a woman was injured.

Drones also attacked agricultural establishments in the Beryslav community in the Kherson region.

In the Mykolaiv region, which was also hit, debris from a downed drone damaged a warehouse at an agricultural facility. The Ukrainian military said there were no casualties as a result of the attacks.

The Russian Defense Ministry also announced on January 18 that Russian forces had taken control of the settlement of Vesele in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. This is a village with a population of about 100 people, located 20km northeast of the Russian-controlled city of Bakhmut, in an area that has seen fierce fighting.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/ukraine-ban-ha-loat-uav-tan-cong-kho-dau-trong-lanh-tho-nga-20240119013351047.htm