Russian priest blesses fire truck as fire rages at Rostov oil depot

A Russian Orthodox priest visited the site of a blaze at a fuel depot that is still burning three days after it was set alight in a Ukrainian drone strike.

More than 500 firefighters have been fighting a fire at the Proletarsk oil storage facility in the southern Rostov region.

Local authorities told RIA Novosti that about 20 of the 74 storage tanks caught fire.

On Wednesday, local Orthodox priests prayed beside fire trucks and brought icons to the scene to support firefighters’ efforts.

“this [priests] Talk to firefighters and bless all firefighting equipment,” the local Volgodonsk diocese – the Russian Orthodox equivalent – told Reuters.

They brought with them a giant icon of unburned bush, considered a talisman against fire.

Air defense systems shot down the Ukrainian drone on August 18, but its wreckage caused diesel fuel to ignite within the facility, according to regional governor Vasily Golubev.

Authorities have declared a state of emergency, but Russian state media quoted local city management as saying there was no threat of the fire spreading to residential areas and calling on people “not to panic.”

Golubev said 41 firefighters had been treated for the fire, five of whom had received emergency care.

Ukraine has not commented on the attack, but its forces have been targeting Russian oil infrastructure as part of efforts to counter Moscow’s full-scale invasion that began in February 2022.

Also on Wednesday, Ukrainian forces reported an attack on an S-300 air defense system near the Russian city of Novosekhtinsk in the Rostov region.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Facebook that the attack was carried out by the Ukrainian navy in cooperation with other forces.

“The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to weaken the air defense capabilities of the Russian aggressors,” the statement read.

“Notably, Russian intruders have also used S-300 systems to attack peaceful Ukrainian cities, destroying residential buildings and terrorizing civilians,” the report added.

Elsewhere in Russia, Moscow said its air defenses shot down 11 Ukrainian drones targeting the city during the night.

The city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said it was one of the largest attacks in the Russian capital since the conflict began, but there were no reports of damage or casualties.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported intercepting 50 Russian drones and missiles.

“The enemy continues to attack our area with attack drones. The air strikes continued throughout the night and into the morning, lasting more than nine hours,” Kiev’s military authorities said on Telegram.

The report added that a private house was damaged by falling debris and power lines were cut.

On the ground, Ukraine continues to control large swaths of territory in Russia’s western Kursk region following a cross-border incursion that began on August 6.

This is the first time since World War II that Russian territory has been occupied by a foreign power.

Ukrainian President Zelensky said in a video speech on Wednesday night that “our combat work continues” in the Kursk region.

“We control designated areas,” he said, without providing any details.

In Russia’s neighboring Bryansk region, Governor Alexander Bogomaz said an incursion attempt by a Ukrainian reconnaissance group was repelled on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Russian troops continue to advance towards the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials said earlier this week that Russia is now about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the outskirts of Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub in the region.