Head of Russia-Annexed Luhansk Reports Ukrainian Shelling Damages Fuel Depot

The head of the Luhansk region, which is under Russian control, reported on Monday that shelling by Ukrainian forces had damaged a fuel depot in the town of Dovzhansk, causing a fire. This incident marked the third attack on depots in the region by Ukrainian forces this month.

Leonid Pasechnik shared on the Telegram messaging platform that cluster bombs were used in the assault on the town, referred to by its Soviet-era name, Sverdlovsk, by the local administration installed by Russia. He noted that emergency services were dispatched to the scene to protect nearby structures from the flames, which are occurring south of Luhansk, the main town in the region.

Pasechnik indicated that this was the second strike reported from Ukraine in that day. There was no immediate official response from Ukraine regarding the attack on the fuel depot. However, Ukrainian war bloggers reported about the strike, sharing images showing a significant plume of smoke rising from what appeared to be a wooded area.

Bloggers also highlighted an earlier strike in the region, posting photos depicting debris outside a high-rise building. Pasechnik mentioned previous attacks on oil storage depots in Luhansk and in the town of Rovenky earlier in May.