Ukraine's elite Alpha group hit Russian ammo and oil with deep-strike drones, sparking explosions and fires, security official says

A satellite image shows smoke and fire rising from an oil depot, amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, at Astakhov in the Kamensky district, Rostov Region, Russia, August 28, 2024.
  • Ukrainian drones struck an ammunition site and oil depot in Russia, a security official said Tuesday.

  • The two strikes were carried out by the "Alpha" group, an elite unit in Ukraine's SBU agency.

  • The attacks mark Ukraine's latest deep-strike operations against Russian weapons and energy.

Ukrainian forces used long-range, deep-strike drones to hit a Russian missile arsenal and oil depot supporting the invasion, a security official told Business Insider on Tuesday.

The attacks mark Ukraine's latestdeep strikesas it continues to target Russian weapons and the country's vast energy sector, a major revenue source for the state as it wages war.

A source in the Security Service of Ukraine, the SBU, said that drones hit Russia's 100th Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU) in the western Kostroma region. They were only authorized to speak on the condition of anonymity to discuss military developments.

The drone attack on the facility triggered asecondary detonation of ammunition, causing powerful blasts at the facility, the source said, calling it an important target because Russia uses it to supply munitions to smaller sites in other areas of the country.

The source said drones also struck an oil depot in the nearby Lipetsk region, sparking an "intense" blaze. Video footage and images shared on social media appeared to show fire and smoke at the two facilities.

Overnight, Ukrainian attack drones successfully hit a Russian oil depot in the town of Usman, Lipetsk Oblast. Seen here, flames leap into the night sky from the burning facility.pic.twitter.com/EN6SRI2sXU

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical)January 6, 2026

Russia's defense ministry said on Tuesday that it shot down 360Ukrainian droneswithout specifying where. Neither the ministry nor the Russian embassy in the US responded to Business Insider's request for comment.

The SBU source said that the two drone attacks were carried out by itsAlpha group, an elite "spetsnaz" unit considered to be among the best of Ukraine's special forces.

The Alpha group regularly carries out long-range drone attacks against Russian targets, including a recent first-of-its-kind strike on aMoscow-linked oil tankerin the Mediterranean Sea and the stunning June attacks against Russian airbases, known asOperation Spiderweb.

The SBU's Alpha forces also carry out ground operations; for instance, they have participated in Ukraine'sdefense of Pokrovsk, the war-torn city in the eastern Donetsk region that has been the site of some of the conflict's most intense fighting.

"In the New Year, the SBU continues to work successfully on military and oil facilities of the Russian Federation, reducing the enemy's ability to provide their army with ammunition and fuel," the source said in translated remarks shared with Business Insider.

An image from the camera of a drone showing a plane exploding.

"All Russian rear facilities that work for the war against Ukraine are absolutely legitimate targets," they added.

Since August, Ukraine has stepped up its use oflong-range dronesto attackRussian energy facilitiesin a bid to put pressure on a key source of revenue for Moscow that helps fuel its war efforts.

Ukraine has mostly targeted oil and gas infrastructure on land, such as depots and ports, but in recent weeks, it has expanded attacks to maritime targets, striking severaloil tankersandoil platformsin the Black, Caspian, and Mediterranean seas.

Ukrainian officials have described thedeep-strike operationsas the country's way of imposing "long-range" sanctions on Russia.

Meanwhile, Tuesday's attack on the 100th GRAU arsenal reflects a tactic that Ukraine has long relied on — hittingammunition storage sitesinside Russia to cause more near-term battlefield impacts.

Read the original article onBusiness Insider

 

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