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Ukraine ‘launches drone wave’ blasting oil depot & airfield as train derails

03 May 2023 , 11:55
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Ukraine ‘launches drone wave’ blasting oil depot & airfield as train derails
Ukraine ‘launches drone wave’ blasting oil depot & airfield as train derails

UKRAINE is suspected of being behind a wave of kamikaze drone strikes on Russian targets including an oil depot and military airfield.

Attacks on a headquarters of the FSB spy service and a train are also believed to be the work of Kyiv's forces.

An oil storage depot in flames after being hit in a suspected Ukrainian drone attack qhiddeideuiqzeprw
An oil storage depot in flames after being hit in a suspected Ukrainian drone attackCredit: East2West
The inferno sent smoke thousands of feet into the air
The inferno sent smoke thousands of feet into the airCredit: East2West
The moment the storage facility was hit around 2am
The moment the storage facility was hit around 2amCredit: East2West

The first attack sent smoke thousands of feet into the air near to Vladimir Putin's prized bridge linking Russia to Crimea, which he annexed in 2014.

The strikes come as Russia accused Ukraine of trying to assassinate Putin with a drone strike on the Kremlin.

The inferno at the port of Taman covered almost 13,000 square feet and almost 85 firefighters were tackling the blaze. 

Putin accused of surrounding himself with same 'actors' at series of eventsPutin accused of surrounding himself with same 'actors' at series of events

One witness said the attack came at 2am after “there was a sound of hissing in the air, and a drone trace in the sky”.

The strike was only six miles from the Kerch Bridge built by linking Russia's Krasnodar region to Crimea. 

Pro-Kremlin Russian news outlet Readovka said a drone strike was suspected - despite the site being some 170 miles from the nearest Ukraine-held territory.

Eyewitnesses told Readovka they heard two explosions during the night, and then the fire started.

Krasnodar regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said: “A tank with oil products caught fire. 

“The fire was assigned the highest rank of difficulty. According to preliminary information, there are no victims or injured.”

The attack is the latest in a rising tide of apparent strikes by Ukraine on Russian territory in the war between the two countries.

Kyiv is also suspected of being behind a mass drone attack on a Russian military air base in the Bryansk region.

Two drones were shot down using small arms but two exploded on the airfield, with one damaging a giant ‘Ruslan’ An-124 transport plane and putting it out of service, according to Russian media reports.

In another attack, a blast rocked a secret training base of the FSB security service near Simferopol, the capital of Crimea.

Catholics across the world pray for Pope Benedict XVI as his body lies in stateCatholics across the world pray for Pope Benedict XVI as his body lies in state

Black smoke was seen rising from the facility near Skilne, a short distance from Simferopol airport. 

The site is reportedly used by Russian border guards, part of the FSB, and crucial to Putin’s illegal control of a region.

Meanwhile, a freight train made up of 20 oil tanker carriages derailed, also in the Bryansk region, the second track explosion in two ways.

It's currently unclear exactly what caused the derailment and the explosion at the FSB office.

The attack comes just days after Ukrainian forces were believed to have hit an oil depot in Crimea itself.

Ukrainian drones have already crashed near Moscow while Kyiv has been suspected of behind sabotage attacks carried out near the city.

These include explosions and fires at shopping malls as well as energy facilities.

Kyiv plotted an audacious attack on Moscow to mark the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion, leaked spy documents have revealed.

The mass strikes were ultimately called off after the United States intervened and warned Kyiv its plan could lead to a nuclear war.

Ukraine never publicly claims responsibility for attacks in Russia or on Russian-controlled territory.

But its intelligence chief Major-General Kyrylo Budanov has previously hinted that its forces are behind incidents in Russia.

He said: “Much of this is no accident. Something is constantly on fire.”

The latest attack comes after footage from Saturday showed the sky turning black over the Russian-occupied city of Sevastopol as the smoke rose from the enormous blaze.

The mushroom-cloud-like smoke plume could be seen for miles around after two huge explosions ripped through Cossack Bay.

The blasts came at 4:20am and 4:21am local time - and up to seven fuel tanks are believed to have gone up in flames.

It appears to be the latest attempt by Ukraine to strike at Russia’s naval firepower base in the annexed peninsula. 

Ukraine wants to retake the Crimean Peninsula which was seized by Vladimir Putin nine years ago.

Military experts had previously suggested the long-anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive could be focused on the region.

It comes after a suspected "kamikaze drone" was found crashed near Moscow - as Ukraine's ambitions to hit back at the Russians appears to becoming more bold.

Some Russian sources said it could have been a sea drone attack, but others said it was an aerial strike. 

Russia invaded Ukraine last February - a conflict which has devolved into a grinding, brutal war.

It is believed some 188,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Putin's botched invasion.

And millions of Ukrainian civilians have endured untold misery as the Russians stole their homes and left cities devastated.

Despite the bloodshed, Kyiv is still standing strong against the Russians with backing from the West.

The world is now awaiting to see if Ukraine will mount its long expected counter offensive, with much of the fiercest fighting currently centred around the city of Bakhmut.

The sky turned black over Crimea after the recent attack on an oil depot there
The sky turned black over Crimea after the recent attack on an oil depot there
The suspected drone strike blew up a fuel depot in Cossack Bay
The suspected drone strike blew up a fuel depot in Cossack Bay

Tariq Tahir

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