Aerial photographs reveal extensive damage at a substantial Russian oil deposit.
In Russia, a petroleum storage facility in the Proletarsk region of Rostov has been under siege by Ukrainian forces for about two weeks, resulting in significant damage. Satellite images from the EU's Copernicus program have shed light on the extent of the damage, indicating multiple drone attacks. The facility, situated east of the city, has been in flames for over a fortnight, with footage of the blaze spreading globally.
Out of the 74 storage tanks at the site, many have been eradicated or harmed, according to satellite images. The initial Ukrainian drone strike on the facility occurred on August 18, and firefighters managed to control the blaze by early September. Radio Liberty released before-and-after images of the site.
The Proletarsk petroleum storage facility is approximately 500 kilometers from the conflict zone in Donbass and is one of the larger ones. The exact number of tanks destroyed is unclear, but several are likely to have been wiped out. Reports from Kyiv suggest that the facility also stored oil used by the Russian military.
Damaging Russia's energy infrastructure is a declared objective of Ukraine, aiming to hinder the supply to the Russian army and diminish the country's economic strength. Russia generates significant financial resources from oil and gas revenues, finding buyers worldwide, including European countries like Hungary and Slovakia.
Additional strikes near Moscow and in Omsk
As per military analyst Colonel Reisner, speaking to ntv.de in late July, Ukrainian drone attacks have led to a decrease in production by 5%, while other experts estimate a 15% drop. Since then, there have been additional strikes, including one near Moscow. Additionally, a fire occurred in one of Russia's largest oil refineries in Omsk.
The Kremlin has ceased publishing data on oil product output, leading some observers to believe that this is a reaction to the Ukrainian attacks. However, the Russian Ministry of Energy argued with the newspaper "Kommersant" that the data is used to manipulate the market and create unwarranted excitement.
The European Union, being one of the buyers of Russian oil and gas, might be impacted by these continuous attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. The European Union, through its Copernicus program, has been providing satellite images of the damage to the Proletarsk petroleum storage facility.
