Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Oil Refinery, Petrochemical Complex
Ukraine said on Thursday that its drones had struck a major oil processing and petrochemical complex and an oil refinery in Russia, part of an intensifying campaign to disrupt Moscow's oil and gas sector.
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Moscow labels Ukraine's attacks on energy infrastructure as "terrorist acts" while regularly targeting Ukraine's own energy facilities.
Kyiv/ Moscow:
Ukrainian forces confirmed Thursday that their drones had targeted a significant oil processing and petrochemical complex alongside an oil refinery inside Russian territory, as part of their escalating strategy to disrupt Russia's crucial oil and gas industry.
As peace negotiations with Russia stall and frustration mounts in Kyiv over their progress, Ukraine has intensified drone operations against Russian energy facilities in recent weeks. This systematic targeting aims to reduce Moscow's export revenue and generate internal dissatisfaction among Russian citizens.
Russia, which frequently launches strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, denounces these Ukrainian attacks as "terrorism." Several Russian regions have experienced gasoline shortages resulting from Ukraine's military campaign.
A Kyiv SBU security service source revealed that Ukrainian drones conducted overnight strikes on an oil refinery in central Russia's Bashkortostan region, damaging a distillation station at the facility.
Bashkortostan regional head Radiy Khabirov confirmed that two Ukrainian drones had struck the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat complex, one of Russia's largest oil processing and petrochemical facilities located in the Ural Mountains.
"We're currently evaluating the damage extent. Firefighting efforts are underway. All emergency services have responded to the scene," Khabirov stated via Telegram.
He reported no casualties and noted that the complex's security forces had fired upon the incoming drones. This marks the second attack on this particular complex since May 2024.
Last week, Ukrainian drones also targeted an oil refinery in Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan, situated approximately 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from Ukraine's border.
Additionally, Ukraine's military announced Thursday that its Special Operations Forces had conducted overnight strikes on an oil refinery in Russia's Volgograd region, temporarily halting its operations.
Volgograd regional governor Andrei Bocharov stated on Telegram that air defense units had repelled what he described as a massive Ukrainian drone assault. While mentioning minor damage to residential homes, he made no reference to the oil refinery being damaged and confirmed no injuries.
Reuters could not independently verify Ukraine's claims regarding the Volgograd refinery attack.
According to industry sources, the Lukoil-controlled Volgograd refinery processed 13.7 million metric tons of oil in 2024, representing 5.1% of Russia's total refinery output.