WATCH: Ukraine Blasts Russian Thermobaric Ammo Depot in Pokrovsk Sector

Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian thermobaric munitions warehouse early morning Friday in the occupied territory of the Donetsk region.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), the warehouse was located in the Selydove area, a town in the Pokrovsk District.

Thermobaric munitions are explosive weapons that use oxygen from the surrounding air to generate an intense, high-temperature blast. They contain a fuel-air mixture that disperses before igniting, creating a massive explosion with an extended thermal effect.

These weapons are significantly more destructive than conventional high-explosive shells and can penetrate fortified enemy positions. The blast’s vacuum effect can rupture lungs and internal organs, while the extreme heat can ignite large-scale fires, destroying buildings, equipment, and shelters.

A video released by the General Staff captures powerful explosions with multiple munitions detonating in succession. Kyiv Post could not independently verify the exact location and time of the footage.

The General Staff also reported that among the three other facilities struck early Friday morning was the Ilsky Oil Refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Territory, a key supplier to the Russian military. The extent of the damage is still being assessed.

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Ukraine Rejects Russian Accusations of Drone Strike on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces have dismissed Kremlin accusations regarding an alleged Ukrainian drone strike on Power Unit No. 6 of the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Ukrainian military officials emphasized that the claims are a standard Russian information provocation designed to deflect international attention from Moscow’s tactical losses. The defense forces provided concrete technical and physical evidence showing that the Armed Forces of Ukraine do not possess the specific heavy fiber-optic drones required to cause such damage.

The Ilsky Oil Refinery is located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Krasnodar and more than 360 kilometers (224 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Kyiv Post sources within Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported on Feb. 17 that their forces had successfully carried drone strikes against two key Russian enterprises supporting the country’s military-industrial complex, including the Ilsky Oil Refinery.

On Sunday night, at least 20 explosions were heard near the Ilsky refinery, followed by a fire, which was later confirmed by local authorities.

According to the SBU, the facility houses six technological units with a total processing capacity of 6.6 million tons of oil per year.

This isn’t the first time the refinery has been targeted – SBU drones struck it last February, damaging a primary oil processing unit valued at $50 million.

Elsewhere in the Pokrovsk sector this week, Ukrainian forces launched successful counterattacks in three eastern sectors, reclaiming lost territory. A video from Ukraine’s Airborne Forces credited the 25th Brigade with retaking Kotlyne, near Pokrovsk.