A new explosion at an oil facility in the Russian city of Engels, Saratov region, has shocked local residents, reports News.bg.
Ukrainian drones struck an industrial area last night, causing a fire. The governor of Saratov region refused to reveal specific details about the facilities hit, specifying only that it was an “industrial enterprise”. Firefighting began in the early hours and is likely still ongoing.
Local residents reported that a second fuel tank had exploded, and videos on Russian social media showed a powerful explosion followed by a huge column of fire and smoke. They say this second incident is more serious than the initial explosion.
There is currently no information about an airstrike or a second attack.
Previously, authorities reported that two firefighters died while extinguishing the first fire, and another was hospitalized. Information about the severity of the victim's injuries was not disclosed.
A state of emergency has been introduced in Engels for an unspecified period, Roman Busargin announced on social media.
Last year, the Ukrainian army carried out more than 80 drone attacks on oil refineries in Russia, Crimea and in Ukrainian territories occupied by the Russian army. After the peak of the attacks, however, they have decreased significantly in recent months, with this attack proving to be one of the successful ones.
The Ukrainian military confirmed that the attack in Engels was part of their operation, stating that the base played a key role in supplying fuel to Russian aircraft, which often carry out attacks on Ukraine.