A Ukrainian drone struck a gas reservoir in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan on Tuesday and caused a massive fire, local officials announced. Russian war bloggers claim that Ukraine has launched “massive” attacks. The Shot Telegram account, which is close to Russian security forces, says that Russian air defenses have shot down more than 200 Ukrainian drones and five US ATACMS ballistic missiles. TASR informs about it according to the reports of the AFP and Reuters agencies.
Media released images of flames and black smoke near the city of Kazan, Tatarstan, and reported that a Ukrainian drone had hit a liquefied gas warehouse near a chemical factory. “After the drone attack, the gas tank caught fire,” the local government announced on Telegram. She added that according to her, no one was injured during the attack or the subsequent fire.
The President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnichanov, announced on his Telegram account that he was at the scene of the attack and that the rescue services managed to put out the fire. According to him, there were no casualties or serious damage. The governor of the Bryansk region, Alexandr Bogomaz, also reported on the “massive” Ukrainian missile attack, but did not say what missiles the Ukrainians used.
Ukrainian drones have again attacked targets near the city of Engels in the Saratov region, located in the southeast of the European part of Russia. The governor there, Roman Busargin, wrote on Telegram that “the industrial area was damaged” during the drone attack. He gave no details. Busargin added that due to the attacks, schools will be closed on Tuesday and classes will be held online.
Ukraine also attacked Engels last Wednesday and hit a fuel warehouse. Two firefighters died trying to put out the fire. Russian authorities have also restricted flights in Kazan, Saratov, Penza, Ulyanovsk and Nizhnekamsk, writes Reuters. The large Taneco refinery is located in Nizhnekamsk, and according to a statement on the Shot account, sirens were sounded in its area.
Ukraine regularly attacks Russian military and energy targets in retaliation for Russian attacks on its territory that began in February 2022 after Russian troops invaded Ukraine.
