**Oil Depot on Fire in Russia’s Smolensk Region Following Drone Attack**
A fire has broken out at an oil depot in the Yartsevo district of Russia’s Smolensk region. The depot caught fire after a drone attack overnight on December 31, according to regional authorities.
The Yartsevo district head, Roman Zakharov, said that a Ukrainian drone attack targeted a fuel and energy facility, resulting in fires. Emergency response teams have been dispatched to the scene to put out the flames.
However, the Kyiv Independent was unable to verify Mr. Zakharov’s claims immediately. Multiple explosions were also heard in the Smolensk region and the city of Oryol in western Russia, but authorities did not provide further details on casualties or damage.
**Other Developments**
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine has a chance to contribute to restoring stability in Syria following years of Russian interference. He emphasized that this effort will also help bolster Ukraine’s own pursuit of peace.
In other news, NATO allies met on December 30 to address the security of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, following damage to undersea cables connecting Estonia and Finland several days earlier.
Ukraine will quadruple gas transit tariffs for its domestic customers starting January 1 when a deal to transport Russian gas through Ukrainian pipes expires. The country’s exports grew by more than 13% over the past year, primarily due to stabilizing the functioning of Ukrainian seaports.
**Update on Situation in Ukraine**
The capital, Kyiv, endured over 500 air raid alerts on December 30, according to the city’s military administration head, Serhii Popko. The commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that Russia continues to carry out constant “human wave” assaults, suffering record losses.
The United States made a $3.4 billion payment in direct budget support to Ukraine on December 30. The country’s largest telecommunications operator, Kyivstar, signed an agreement to become one of the first countries with access to Starlink’s direct-to-cell service.
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