Huge explosion rips through Russian oil depot in Ukrainian drone strike in new humiliation for Putin after warship sunk
A MAJOR oil depot in a Russian border region has been destroyed in a Ukrainian kamikaze drone blitz sparking fresh humiliation for Vladimir Putin.
It came the day after Kyiv’s forces sank the Russian dictator's large landing ship Caesar Kunikov in the Black Sea.
Huge flames were seen tearing through the oil depot near the village of Polevaya in Kursk region, which has a frontier with Ukraine.
Three fuel tanks caught fire, one of which partially collapsed.
Footage shows the inferno raging as firefighters desperately battle to subdue the flames at the Polevaya facility, which had been used to supply fuel to Vladimir Putin’s army.
The attack was confirmed by Putin-loyal regional governor Roman Starovoit.
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It is believed two kamikaze drones attacked the facility.
"A fire broke out as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack at an oil storage depot in the Kursk region,” said the governor.
“According to preliminary information, there are no casualties,” he added.
“All special services are currently working on the spot.”
Ukraine has now struck nine Russian oil depots since the start of the year.
The strikes appear to be aimed at cutting off supplies for Putin's war machine, as well as limiting Russian export capacities.
The oil depot is some 63 miles from the nearest Ukrainian territory.
A day earlier, Ukraine sank the 369ft warship Caesar Kunikov with a suspected crew of 87.
The attack was by five Magura 5 sea drones, said the head of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency Lt-Gen Kyrylo Budanov.
“The ship was transporting cargo from Novorossiysk to Sevastopol,” he said.
“This is a serious loss, there is nothing to replace it” Captain 1st Rank of the Ukrainian Navy Reserve Andrey Ryzhenko told Radio Donbas Realii.
"As I understand it, [the vessel] was given some task of delivering cargo to Sevastopol.
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"Our military found out about this, chose the strike point, and chose it not by chance."
The latest sinking comes as part of a wider Ukrainian blitz on Putin's once feared Black Sea Fleet that has sunk at least seven vessels.