Late on May 10th, the night sky over the town of Rovenky in occupied Luhansk Oblast was ablaze, as reports emerged of multiple explosions targeting a key oil depot used by Russian forces. Rovenky, under Russian control since 2014, is situated more than 110 km from the current front lines in eastern Ukraine, but its significance stems from the logistical support it provides for the Russian military, storing petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL).
In a series of blasts reported around 22:00 local time, the facility was engulfed in flames, painting a stark image against the darkness. Videos and witness accounts flooded social media, detailing the intensity of the fire resulting from the explosions. Among these reports, local residents stated that the fuel depot facility had been hit, leading to a significant conflagration that lit up the skies.
The response from Russia’s occupation administration in Luhansk Oblast was swift. Leonid Pasechnik pointed the finger at Ukraine, claiming that the attack had not only ignited the Rovenky oil depot but had also damaged nearby residences. According to Pasechnik, the incident resulted in one fatality and six injuries among oil depot workers and local residents.
Russian media outlets attributed the strike to ATACMS missiles, a weapon with a range sufficient to reach Rovenky, though such assertions remain unverified. This strike is not the first time that the Rovenky oil depot has been targeted. In the past year, it has seen attacks by a UAV and, reportedly, a Tochka-U missile on February 26, 2022, followed by another strike on July 1, 2022.
The Rovenky depot explosions appear to be part of a broader strategy by Ukrainian forces to disrupt Russian logistics. Beyond the occupied territories, this offensive has widened to include Russian oil processing facilities as well. Just days prior to the Rovenky incident, Ukrainian attacks reportedly destroyed several fuel tanks in occupied Luhansk and struck an oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, near occupied Crimea.
Further inflaming the situation, on May 10th, drones targeted an oil refinery in Russia’s Kaluga Oblast, the Pervy Zavod plant, resulting in another fire. Located hundreds of kilometers from Ukraine’s border and Moscow, the Pervy Zavod is a critical site for oil and gas condensate processing.
In a significant development on May 9th, the Kyiv Post cited sources within the special services indicating that Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) had successfully attacked the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat refinery in Bashkortostan with a long-range drone. This refinery is a pivotal complex in Russia’s oil refining and petrochemical production capabilities.
The recent increase in strikes against Russian fuel storage and processing facilities by Ukraine marks a clear intensification of efforts to undermine the Russian war machine’s supply lines. Such tactics, however, are not without risk. In March, it was reported that US officials had advised Ukraine against striking Russian oil facilities, fearing potential global economic repercussions, particularly with regard to petroleum prices, in the run-up to presidential elections.
Relevant articles:
– Key oil depot hit in occupied Luhansk’s Rovenky , Euromaidan Press, 05/11/2024
– ATACMS Missile Blasts Oil Depot in Occupied Luhansk, Kyiv Post, 05/11/2024
– Ukraine war latest updates: Russia launches surprise advance on Ukraine – but why has Moscow opened up second front in war?, Sky News, 05/11/2024