What happened
On 6 February and overnight into 7 February the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Ukrainian forces reportedly struck the "Balashovo" oil depot in Russia's Saratov region. The distance from territory controlled by Ukraine is over 400 km in a straight line; the results of the attack are still being clarified.
"Enemy losses and the scale of damage are being clarified"
— General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Other claimed strikes
In the same statement the General Staff listed several other targets:
- in the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region — a drone control point near Rivnopillia and a concentration of personnel near Dorozhnyanka were struck;
- in temporarily occupied Donetsk region — a strike on the location of a repair unit near Yalta;
- in Donetsk (near Mykolaivka) — a drone control point and an MLRS were struck in the Poltavka area;
- in Russia's Belgorod region — a strike on a concentration of personnel near the village of Dronivka.
Separately, LIGA.net, citing a source in the SBU, reported a possible strike on a chemical enterprise in Tver region that allegedly manufactures fuel components for cruise missiles.
Why this matters
First, the distance of over 400 km indicates either the ability to conduct long-range strikes or the use of multiple assets in a combined operation. This affects Russia's logistical flexibility — damage to an oil depot could potentially complicate fuel supplies for equipment and aviation in operational areas.
Second, strikes on drone control points and repair units degrade the enemy's ability to sustain the tempo of attacks and to restore equipment. Analysts note that systematic efforts to destroy logistical nodes are gradually reducing the resilience of the opponent's offensive capabilities.
Context and risks
The Russian side has not yet provided detailed information on the scale of the damage; the General Staff also emphasizes that the data are being clarified. Meanwhile, analysts at Deepstate reported Russian advances in the Dronivka area (near Ukrainian Hrabovske), which increases the significance of strikes in border areas as a means of deterrence.
What happens next
If strikes on the oil depot and other facilities are confirmed, this will have two practical consequences: lower stocks and reduced maneuverability for the enemy in the short term, and a psychological effect on supply chains. However, the full picture will depend on clarification of losses and technical details.
This is an example of how combining long-range strikes with local hits on command and logistical nodes can change the operational balance without noisy declarations — an important component of Ukraine's modern defense strategy.
