Drone Strikes Hit Rostov Fuel Depots
Ukraine continues its drone strikes on significant targets within Russia, successfully hitting multiple fuel depots in the Rostov region overnight Monday.
According to sources from the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), the attacked infrastructure is owned by two separate petroleum companies, one of which has up to 22 fuel tanks. The strikes resulted in fires, as confirmed by local Russian authorities.
Kyiv employs these tactics to disrupt fuel supplies to Russian troops on the Ukrainian front, reports EFE, cited by Agerpres.
The U.S. has publicly disapproved of these attacks, warning that they could destabilize the international market and increase petroleum prices.
Intensified Fighting in Eastern Ukraine
While Ukraine strikes strategic Russian targets, Russian troops maintain the initiative on the battlefield, gaining ground in eastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that the front line near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region remains the hottest area of contact due to constant Russian attacks.
By midday, Russian forces attempted 15 times to improve their positions towards Pokrovsk, which remains under Ukrainian control.
According to the influential Ukrainian Telegram channel "DeepState," Russian troops have advanced in the areas of Umanske, Arhangelske, and Sokol in Donetsk.
Gradual Russian Advances and Strategic Implications
British military intelligence reports indicate that Russian forces likely captured Novooleksandrivka, 20 kilometers north of Russian-occupied Avdiivka.
The region has seen intense fighting throughout 2024, with Russia gradually advancing since capturing Avdiivka in February.
The capture of Novooleksandrivka brings Russian forces closer to a vital supply route for Ukrainian troops in the east. Despite these advances, the Russian army has not achieved a decisive breakthrough on any front.
The current objective appears to be exhausting Ukrainian forces, as stated by Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrsky. Ukraine lost its initiative last September following a failed counteroffensive with significant losses but minimal territorial gains, partially recaptured by Russian troops.
The Ukrainian military also faced an ammunition crisis due to delayed U.S. military aid amid congressional disputes. Although new Western weapons and artillery munitions have begun arriving, Ukraine has yet to halt Russian advances and is striving to mobilize new soldiers.
