On January 8, 2025, Ukrainian unmanned aerial systems reportedly struck the Kristall oil depot, russia, 8 km from the Engels-2 air base. The strike caused large scale fires within the petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) storage area of the depot, reportedly taking several days to extinguish, according to the UK Defense Intelligence.
A further strike was also reportedly conducted on the night of January 14, 2025, once again targeting the Kristall oil depot, reigniting the fire and causing further infrastructure damage to the site. Analysis of imagery from January 21, 2025, highlights four assessed destroyed POL tanks and ten assessed damaged POL tanks.
Read more: Ukraine Strikes Putin's Personal Plant-Supplier of Raw Materials for Explosives
The repeated strikes indicate an increased Ukrainian ability to target russian infrastructure.
Read more: New Details Reveal the Extent of the Damage Caused to russia’s Drone Storage in Oryol Region
