Russia's Kursk oil depot on fire after Ukraine drone attack

Fire at one tank was quickly extinguished but 82 firefighters tried to put out fires at the other two tanks

Three tanks at an oil storage depot in Russia's Kursk region caught fire as a result of a Ukraine-launched drone attack, acting regional Governor Alexei Smirnov said on Sunday.

A fire at one of the tanks was quickly extinguished, but 82 firefighters were involved in trying to put out fires at the other two tanks, using 32 pieces of equipment, Smirnov said on the Telegram messaging app.

The drones also damaged a couple of residential buildings in the region, injuring one person, Smirnov said. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war Russia launched against its smaller neighbour in February 2022.

Kyiv's General Staff said on Sunday that Ukrainian forces had struck the Polevaya oil depot in the Kursk region, resulting in "powerful explosions" and a fire and were still assessing the full impact of the attack.

Russia's defence ministry said on Telegram that its air defence systems destroyed two drones over the Kursk region.

Reuters could not independently verify the various reports. Kyiv has said its strikes on Russia's energy, military and transport infrastructure are in response to Moscow's continued attacks on Ukraine's territory.