Russia's Penza battles oil depot fire after drone strike

Firefighting efforts have continued for a second day in the Russian city of Penza, where a blaze broke out at an oil depot following a drone attack.

Penza Region Governor Oleg Melnichenko said that 150 firefighters and more than 40 pieces of equipment have been deployed to extinguish the fire. Over the past 24 hours, the number of personnel involved has increased more than threefold.

“The specific challenge of extinguishing such fires is that petroleum products must burn out completely. The main task is to prevent the spread of the fire,” the governor said.

According to Melnichenko, drones attacked the oil depot on January 23. No casualties were reported, and the fire started after drone debris fell on the facility.

Ukraine’s General Staff later confirmed the strike on the “Penzanefteprodukt” facility, which is owned by the company Rosneft. In its statement, the Ukrainian military said the oil depot is used to supply the Russian army.

By Tamilla Hasanova