Ukraine drones hit an oil pumping station and a missile depot in Russia’s Tver region. Russia has seized Velyka Novosilka as intensity of its offensive operations declines, according to DeepState. Finland develops an extended-range drone for Ukraine.
Ukraine drones hit oil pumping station, missile depot in Russia’s Tver region
An overnight Ukrainian drone attack hit Russia’s Andreapol oil pumping station and a missile storage site in the Tver region, a source in Ukraine’s defense forces told the New Voice of Ukraine (NV) on Wednesday. Ukraine’s Security Service and Special Operations Forces were behind the operation, it added.
The Andreapol oil pumping station is part of the oil export route via the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga. The drone strike has damaged a filtering system and tanks with fuel additives at the station, causing a fire and oil products to leak. The operation of the pipeline was halted, the source said. It was not immediately clear if it later resumed.
The attack also hit a Russian missile storage facility — the 23rd missile arsenal of the Russian defense ministry in the Tver region. Drones struck the depot and three buildings at the military base. Local residents reported a string of more than 20 explosions and said civilian evacuation efforts were underway.
“The Security Service of Ukraine in cooperation with other branches of Ukraine’s defense forces continues to target military and logistical sites inside the enemy’s territory, decreasing its capabilities to wage a war against Ukraine. The ‘drone sanctions’ are proving efficient. They will continue,” the source said.
Ukraine launched a major drone attack at Russia overnight on Wednesday. Air defenses were at work in Russia’s Bryansk, Smolensk, Nizhny Novgorod and Tver regions. Flights were suspended in the airport in Kazan.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Wednesday that the country’s military intelligence agency had struck an oil refinery in Kstovo, within the Nizhny Novgorod region, in an overnight drone attack. The refinery is part of the Lukoil company, sources in Ukraine’s defense forces told NV. The site sustained extensive damage as all four drones hit the target, they said.
Russia seizes Velyka Novosilka as intensity of its offensive operations declines, according to DeepState
Russia has seized Velyka Novosilka and has advanced near Pishchane, Nadiyivka, Andriyivka, and Baranivka, DeepState, a Ukrainian OSINT project said on Wednesday. The town of Velyka Novosilka in the western part of Donetsk region sits close to the regions of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia.
Spokesperson for the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade Captain Ivan Sekach disproved that Velyka Novosilka was captured. He said DeepState’s report was not correct. “The fighting for Velyka Novosilka continues with the rifles, infantry, artillery, and all [units]. I cannot back DeepState’s statement,” Sekach said.
The intensity of Russia’s offensive operations began to decrease, but is still at high levels, DeepState said on Tuesday. The attacks peaked and began to decline in the second half of December.
The Pokrovsk direction accounts for 44 per cent of Russian offensive operations in January, 13 per cent fall on the Kursk direction, and 10 per cent take place in the Lyman direction, DeepState said.
Finland develops extended-range drone for Ukraine
The Finnish company Insta will unveil its latest Steel Eagle extended-range drone jointly developed with Ukrainian engineers at SecD-Day, a two-day domestic security and defense convention in Helsinki this week.
“If you work only in Finland, you will not be able to understand what the device should be like,” Insta’s sales and marketing chief Tuure Lehtoranta told Yle.
The helicopter-type drone has entered series production. When detonated from the height of a few dozen meters, a blast of steel and tungsten pellets spray out towards the ground with a force that can penetrate the roof of a standard, lightly armored vehicle, according to the company.
Three drones would be enough to disable enemy troops covering an area roughly the size of a football pitch, according to Insta.
According to the Finnish Defense and Aerospace Industries interest group (PIA), there are more than ten domestic defense companies that cooperate directly with Ukrainian counterparts.
Insta is a high tech firm and strategic partner of Finland’s defense forces.
