Ukraine launched a series of missile attacks on Russia’s port city of Taganrog on Wednesday, targeting the industrial area along the Azov Sea coast. The strikes set off a fire at an oil depot in the Bryansk region, located in western Russia, although the exact scale of the damage and the weapons used remains unclear. Russia has previously warned that the deployment of US ATACMS missiles could escalate the conflict, potentially leading to a wider war.
In retaliation, Russia claimed to have downed 14 Ukrainian drones overnight over the Bryansk region, which shares a border with Ukraine. Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz reported a brief fire at a local production facility due to the drone attacks, though he did not specify the facility’s name.
The Bryansk region, crucial for oil infrastructure, is home to key pipelines like the Druzhba oil pipeline and the Baltic Pipeline System, which transport oil from Siberian and Caspian Sea fields to European markets. Additionally, Ukraine’s missile strike in Taganrog caused damage to several vehicles, with at least 14 cars set ablaze, though no casualties were reported, according to Rostov Governor Yuri Slyusar.
Kyiv has significantly increased its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure this year, aiming to disrupt Moscow’s oil and gas industry and inflict billions of dollars in damage.
Meanwhile, US President-elect Donald Trump has made it clear that resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict will be his top priority upon taking office. In an interview with French magazine Paris Match, Trump emphasized the high cost of the war, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers losing their lives. He expressed his intention to swiftly bring the war to an end when he assumes the presidency in January.
