Ukrainian drones ignite massive blaze at Russian oil depot
5:46 AM EDT, August 20, 2024
- Let's get out of here! - shouts one of the firefighters who recorded the moment of the explosion at the oil depot in Proletarsk in the Rostov region of Russia. On the night from Saturday to Sunday, a Ukrainian drone fell on the tanks, causing a massive fire that has not been controlled so far. Authorities have declared a state of emergency.
- No way (expletive). Let's get out of here (expletive). The boys will burn. This is (expletive). Let's get out of here (expletive). Let's run - you can hear in the recording published by one of the firefighters battling the fire at the oil depot in Proletarsk in the Rostov region of Russia.
Attack on the oil depot in Proletarsk
On the night from Saturday to Sunday, Ukrainian drones fell on the fuel tanks and caused a massive fire. The situation has not been controlled yet, and authorities report "repeated" explosions.
"Extinguishing the fire at the industrial storage in Proletarsk continues. All necessary forces and resources have been deployed. All rescue services are on-site 24/7," informed Vasily Golubev from the Rostov region and added that three firefighting trains participated in the firefighting operation.
The authorities emphasized that there is no danger of the fire spreading to residential buildings and neighboring properties. They called on the residents to "not panic," assuring them that "the situation is under control."
Meanwhile, residents are publishing dozens of recordings and pictures of the raging fire online.
- Again. Oh my God. When will all this end? - says a resident of Proletarsk.
Smoke visible from satellite: 11 tanks have burned
According to the Russian Institute for Aviation and Space Monitoring Research, the smoke rising over the burning oil depot in Proletarsk is visible from a satellite. The statement reads that there were two explosions at the depot about 11 hours apart, and the fire might have two sources in different parts of the depot.
According to the Baza channel, 11 fuel tanks have burned so far.
State of emergency after Ukraine's attack
As of 9 AM Eastern Time, 41 firefighters were injured during the firefighting operation. The condition of five is serious. A state of emergency has been declared in Proletarsk.
Since the beginning of the year, Ukraine has been attacking Russian fuel and energy complex facilities. Almost all major oil refineries in the central part of the country were attacked, causing a sharp drop in gasoline production. Subsequently, the Russian authorities decided to classify operational statistics on fuel production.
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