Ukrainian drones strike fuel depots in Russia’s Tver and Penza regions
Russian authorities have confirmed an attack involving nearly 30 Ukrainian drones targeting two main locations — Tver and Penza. Residents of Penza reported damage to an oil depot on the eastern outskirts of the city.
On the night of November 13, Russia's Ministry of Defense and the governor of Penza region announced the probable downing of three Ukrainian drones, which had flown 700 km to reach the local oil depot.
Meanwhile, local residents posted online footage revealing a blackened fuel tank, potentially damaged during the nighttime strike. Governor Oleg Melnichenko shared his explanation of the nighttime events on his Telegram channel, while Astra channel compiled footage showing the aftermath of the attack.
The footage, allegedly recorded by residents of Penza region, depicts one fuel tank with a partly blackened surface. The precise location, believed to be struck by the Ukrainian drone, has been geo-located at the "Utes RosReserv," located at Ushakova St. 18, Montazhnoe village.
Penza and its airport lie 10 km west of this site and approximately 700 km from Ukraine. Google Maps imagery reveals 30 tanks at the depot used for fuel storage. Governor Oleg Melnichenko confirmed at 5:00 AM on November 13 that Ukrainian drones indeed reached the region. He assured the residents that all drones were shot down by air defense systems, with debris falling in Montazhnoe village, and claimed no damage occurred from the attack. Russia's Ministry of Defense also reported that 29 drones flew over Russia at night but were downed over six regions: seven over Kursk, seven over Belgorod, five over Tver, five over Bryansk, three over Penza, and two over Voronezh.
Ukrainian authorities have yet to comment on the swarm of drone attacks on these six Russian regions. Notably, on October 20, there were reports of explosions at Russia's largest explosives manufacturing plant, located in Dzerzhinsk, Novgorod region, approximately 900 km from Ukraine.