Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian drones reportedly hit oil depot in Russia’s Kaluga Oblast

Key developments on Nov. 25:
Drones operated by Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) hit an oil depot in the western Russian city of Kaluga, a source in the agency told the Kyiv Independent on Nov. 25.
The Kaluganefteprodukt oil facility, which is used to support Russian aggression against Ukraine, was struck by drones at 0:30 a.m. on Nov. 25, leading to a fire, the source claimed.
The successful attack was later confirmed by the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Kaluga, a city of roughly 340,000 people, lies approximately 290 kilometers (180 miles) north of the Ukrainian border.
Videos shared on local Telegram channels showed a fire and active air defenses in the city.
Kaluga Oblast Governor Vladislav Shapsha claimed that eight drones were shot down overnight, resulting in a fire at an industrial facility that was later extinguished.
The official did not provide further details on possible damage and said there had been no casualties.
According to Andrii Kovalenko, head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, drones also targeted Kaluga’s Taifun (Typhoon) factory, which produces radio-electronic equipment, missile and aviation components, and other military supplies.
It remains unclear whether the Taifun factory suffered damage, as the target was not mentioned by the HUR source.
Ukrainian forces also struck Russian targets in the Bryansk and Kursk oblasts overnight on Nov. 25, the General Staff reported.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
Ukraine used U.S.-supplied longe-range ATACMS missile to strike targets inside Russia, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told journalists on Nov. 25.
The confirmation by Washington came days after reports that Kyiv launched ATACMS missiles at a military facility in Karachev, Bryansk Oblast. The strikes with Western-made missiles were also reported in Kursk Oblast.
“Right now, they (Ukrainian soldiers) have the ability to use ATACMS to defend themselves in an immediate-need basis. Understandably, that’s taken place in and around Kursk Oblast,” Kirby said.
“We did change the guidance and gave them guidance that they can use them to strike these particular types of targets.”
Russia launched an attack against the central part of Kharkiv on the morning of Nov. 25, injuring at least 23 people, officials reported.
Thirteen people have been hospitalized, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov wrote on his Telegram channel.
The victims were at work or walking down the street, Spartak Borysenko, head of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, told the Suspilne broadcaster.
The Russian military likely struck a densely populated residential area in central Kharkiv with an S-400 missile, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported on his Telegram channel.
“(The missile) landed in a yard surrounded by multi-story buildings. Buildings and cars caught fire,” he wrote. According to Borysenko, at least five cars were damaged, while the number of damaged buildings is still being determined.
Later in a day, Russia also launched a missile attack against downtown Odesa, injuring at least 11 people, Governor Oleh Kiper reported.
Ukraine’s Third Assault Brigade said on Nov. 25 that it pushed Russian troops out of the Kopanky village in Kharkiv Oblast, taking several prisoners of war (POW) from Russia’s First Tank Army.
Russian forces were reportedly pushed out after they attempted to break into Kopanky, a village in eastern Kharkiv Oblast close to the administrative border with Luhansk Oblast.
The settlement lies around 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Kupiansk, a key logistics hub under increasing pressure from Russian troops.
In a video published by the unit, seven POWs are seen in a basement-like room during a filmed interrogation. According to the unit, the POWs’ positions came under artillery fire from the Russian military after their capture.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the unit’s claims or where the video was recorded.
Ukraine is actively working on developing its own guided aerial bombs, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Anatolii Barhylevych reported on Nov. 24.
“We are actively working on it. I think we will achieve such success,” he said on national television.
According to Barhylevych, Russia holds the largest stockpile of aerial bombs inherited from the Soviet Union.
Guided aerial bombs are precision-guided munitions that have a shorter range than missiles but are far cheaper to produce.
When launched from aircraft within Russian territory or Russian-occupied territories, they are beyond the reach of Ukrainian air defense.