As a result of a drone attack on the Rostov region, a tanker caught fire, leading to the death of two crew members. The incident occurred on the night of December 18, reported the region’s governor, Yuriy Slusar. According to preliminary data, there were two fatalities, and three more were injured.
The Rostov region suffered another drone attack, resulting in a tanker with petroleum products catching fire, which was docked in the Rostov port. This incident was another part of a series of attacks on critical infrastructure in Russia. Governor Slusar also reported that the cities of Rostov, Bataysk, and Taganrog were under threat. The fire on the vessel was contained within an area of 20 square meters.
Additionally, the drone attack affected a multi-story building in the western part of Rostov, but there were no casualties. In Bataysk, seven people were injured in the attack, three of whom were hospitalized; one of the hospitalized individuals later died in the hospital. A significant part of Bataysk was left without electricity following the nighttime explosions.
This incident was another episode in a series of attacks, some of which also targeted the military-industrial complex in the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov region. According to OSINT analysis, one of the buildings in Bataysk that caught fire was located near a power substation and the Ministry of Internal Affairs headquarters in Rostov.
Experts note that such attacks can have long-term consequences for the security and stability of the energy infrastructure and can also affect economic indicators in the region. According to open sources, since the beginning of 2025, Ukrainian military strikes have caused Russia losses amounting to 21.5 billion dollars.
| Attack location | Injured | Damages |
| Rostov | 5 (2 dead) | Tanker caught fire |
| Bataysk | 7 (1 dead) | Infrastructure damage |
