Russian Orthodox priests have visited the site of a massive fire at a fuel depot, which has been blazing for three days following a Ukrainian drone strike. The Proletarsk oil storage facility in southern Rostov has been the focus of intense firefighting efforts, with over 500 firefighters working to control the inferno.
Local authorities reported that approximately 20 out of 74 storage tanks are currently ablaze, according to the RIA news agency. On Wednesday, Orthodox priests conducted prayers beside the fire trucks and brought an icon to the scene as a gesture of support for the firefighters’ efforts.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian forces reported hitting an S-300 air defense system near the Russian city of Novoshakhtinsk in the Rostov region. The strike, conducted by the Ukrainian Navy in coordination with other units, was announced by the Ukrainian armed forces’ general staff on Facebook.
The statement highlighted that Ukraine’s defense forces are actively working to undermine the Russian invaders’ air defense capabilities. It also pointed out that Russian forces use S-300 systems to launch attacks on Ukrainian cities, causing destruction to residential areas and instilling fear among the civilian population.
Drones Over Moscow
In Moscow, authorities reported that air defenses intercepted 11 Ukrainian drones targeting the city overnight. Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, described the incident as one of the largest assaults on the Russian capital since the conflict began, though there were no reports of damage or casualties.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian defenses claimed to have thwarted 50 Russian drones and missiles. Kyiv’s military administration reported on Telegram that the air raid lasted for over nine hours, extending from the night into the morning. The attack caused damage to a private house due to falling debris and severed power lines.
On the ground, Ukraine continues to maintain control over parts of Russia’s western Kursk region following a cross-border incursion that started on August 6. This marks the first instance of foreign occupation of Russian territory since World War II.
In a video address late Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that “our combat work continues” in the Kursk region, though he did not provide specific details.
In the neighboring Bryansk region, Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz reported that a Ukrainian reconnaissance group’s incursion attempt was repelled on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Russian forces are intensifying their push towards Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. Ukrainian officials stated earlier this week that Russian troops are now approximately 10 kilometers (about six miles) from the outskirts of Pokrovsk, a crucial logistics hub in the area.
