Ukraine's HUR Claims Responsibility for Striking Oil Depot in Russia's Belgorod Region

The Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense carried out an attack on a Russian oil depot in the Belgorod region, resulting in a fire, sources in the special services told Kyiv Post.

“This is the HUR Operation. Successful destruction of a military object,” the source said, without providing further details.

Russian Telegram channel 112 reported that the explosion occurred on Tuesday morning, March 5.

While Ukrainian intelligence did not disclose the specific weapon used, Russian social media suggests a drone strike.

“The Gubkinsky oil depot was attacked by a UAV in the village of Dolgoe in the Belgorod region. One tank is on fire. A fire train is on the way,” the Telegram post says.

Other Telegram channels said that the two tanks were already ablaze.

According to Russian media, the incident began with an explosion, followed by the ignition of the infrastructure facility.

“An emergency event in the Gubkinsky local district. After the explosion, a fire was recorded at an infrastructural facility. There were no casualties,” wrote the governor of the region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, via Telegram.

“The operational and emergency services are working on the spot,” he added.

Ukraine targeted key Russian sites in Crimea and Russia, hitting oil refineries and an air base over the weekend. Russian media claim Ukraine launched a 38-drone attack on targets in Feodosia, Crimea, on Sunday.

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Although Russian Defense Ministry stated all drones were shot down with minor damage, reports from ASTRA Telegram channel suggest significant damage to infrastructure and property, including a fire at an oil terminal. Ukrainian Defense Ministry declined to comment.

Another drone explosion on the Tavrida highway resulted in a five by 5 meters in diameter crater about 4 meters deep.

Another social media report says that an unknown seven-meter-long drone crashed on the territory of the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal in the Leningrad region of Russia on Saturday.

The huge drone, with its wing torn off, was found close to Russia's largest Baltic oil transhipment terminal. It contained 20 kilograms of explosives and was discovered on Sunday morning.

This is not the first time that drones have attacked this Russian facility. Intelligence sources told the Kyiv Post that on the night of Jan. 18, Ukraine attacked the St. Petersburg oil depot with drones, passing by Russian President Vladimir Putin's Valdai estate on the way.

“During the operation, one of our UAVs flew over Valdai, where the personal estates of the Rothenbergs, Kovalchuk and one of Putin's palaces are located,” a Ukrainian intelligence spokesperson said.

Kyiv Post’s source would not talk about operational issues; the only comment the spokesperson made was, “Maybe they [the drones] were delivering candy.”