The train was travelling over 35 kilometres from the frontlines, and had around 40 fuel carriages, when it was hit by kamikaze zones.
Ukraine‘s military intelligence (GUR) confirmed the attack, saying it was carried out by its Kabul 9 unit in cooperation with Alfa unit, and the Next group of the State Special Communications Service.
In a post to its social media channels, the GUR commented: “The black smoke soared to the skies.”
Video images of the attack released by the military agency show FVP drones slamming into the side of the fuel carriages, and a huge fire engulfing parts of the train.
Petro Andriushchenko – head of the Centre for the Study of the Occupation – said in a post to his Telegram channel shortly after the attack that 11 tankers were ablaze.
He described thick black smoke pouring from the wreckage of the burning train, which was visible from up to 20 kilometres away.
Andriushchenko claimed that the rail track was destroyed and will take weeks to fix, preventing fuel deliveries to the front for at least two weeks.
The expert analyst added that Ukrainian drone operators struck the convoy “like a bowling alley,” destroying car after car during the night.
The Russians attempted to salvage some of the cargo, sending a locomotive to retrieve 15–20 tankers and pulling them towards Melitopol.
Earlier in the month, Ukrainian drones concealed in a grain wagon attached to a Russian milliary supply train destroyed 13 tanks, seven artillery systems and 103 armoured vehicles.
Hatches on the grain containers flew open and the drones swarmed out, according to eye-witness accounts.
They took out the locomotive which came to a halt, before attacking the rest of the carriages.