Ukrainian drone hits oil depot inside Russia

Rescuers working to extinguish a fire at the oil depot. Pic/AP

A Ukrainian drone struck an oil storage depot in western Russia on Friday, causing a massive blaze, officials said, as Kyiv's forces extended their attacks on Russian soil ahead of the war's two-year anniversary.

Four oil reservoirs with a total capacity of 6,000 cubic meters (1.6 million gallons) were set on fire after the drone reached Klintsy, a city of some 70,000 people located about 60 km from the Ukrainian border, according to the local governor.

The strike was the latest in a recently intensified effort by Ukraine to unnerve Russians and undermine President Vladimir Putin's claims that life in Russia is going on as normal before its March 17 presidential election.

Meanwhile, the Russian city of Belgorod, also near the Ukrainian border, canceled its traditional Orthodox Epiphany festivities on Friday due to the threat of Ukrainian drone strikes. It was the first time major public events were known to have been called off in Russia due to the drone threat.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to hit more targets inside Russian border regions this year. Russia's air defenses are concentrated in occupied regions of Ukraine, Kyiv officials say, leaving more distant targets inside Russia vulnerable as Ukraine deploys longer-range drones.

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No of oil reservoirs that caught fire due to the drone attack

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