Ukrainian drones ignite catastrophic blaze at Russian oil depot
"There are our boys! Let's get out of here!" yells a Russian firefighter who captured the moment an explosion occurred at another fuel tank in Proletarsk. The oil depot has been burning for four days now. On Sunday, the facility was attacked by Ukrainian drones. So far, 22 out of 74 tanks have been destroyed, and residents describe the situation as "catastrophic."
1:22 PM EDT, August 21, 2024
The fuel depot in Proletarsk was attacked on Sunday. Drone debris fell on one of the tanks, causing an explosion and fire. Despite an ongoing four-day firefighting effort, the situation remains uncontrolled.
Approximately 500 firefighters, heavy equipment, firefighting trains, and aircraft and helicopters are involved in the firefighting operation.
State of emergency after Ukrainian attack
According to the latest data, the fire has already consumed 22 out of 74 tanks. Each tank has a capacity of 5,500 tons. It's estimated that the stored fuel is worth approximately $200 million—equivalent to the annual budget of an average Russian city.
The fire has spread to an area of about 108,000 square feet, and the smoke is visible from satellite images. There are no evacuation plans for the population. A state of emergency has been declared in the region.
The latest recording, showing firefighters' dire situation, has been published online. One firefighter captured the moment of a tank explosion. "There are our boys! Run, let's get out of here!" he yelled. The crew managed to escape.
Situation on the ground "catastrophic"
According to TASS, citing rescue services, 42 firefighters were injured during the four-day firefighting operation, five of whom are in serious condition.
Residents of nearby towns describe the situation as "catastrophic" and complain that it is not being reported on federal television. Despite air contamination, authorities have not decided to evacuate the population. No warnings or recommendations have been issued either. The topic is completely ignored in Kremlin media.
