होमUkraine and RussiaUkraine launches major drone attack, claiming strike on Russian refinery

Ukraine launches major drone attack, claiming strike on Russian refinery

Moscow says Ukraine used over 100 drones in attack

Online video footage showed an extensive blaze at the plant. Video: X/@igorsushko

Ukraine said on Wednesday it had struck a large Russian oil refinery in an overnight drone attack, while a Russian official reported that an attempted Ukrainian drone strike on a nuclear power plant had been thwarted.

The Ukrainian military stated that the strike on the refinery in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region triggered a massive fire. A video verified by Reuters showed orange flames illuminating the night sky in the city of Kstovo, though Reuters could not confirm if the refinery itself was burning. Kstovo, located east of Moscow and about 800 km (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border, is home to Lukoil’s NORSI refinery, Russia’s fourth-largest.

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Russian petrochemicals giant Sibur announced it had temporarily suspended operations at its plant in Kstovo after debris from a Ukrainian drone caused a fire. The blaze was later contained, and no casualties were reported. Ukraine has been targeting Russian refineries, oil depots, and industrial sites to disrupt key infrastructure supporting Russia’s war effort.

Russia is currently processing more crude oil in its refineries to boost fuel exports, following new U.S. sanctions that have made crude oil exports more challenging, sources told Reuters. A Ukrainian drone attack last week forced a refinery in Ryazan, southeast of Moscow, to halt operations.

Nuclear Plant and Civilian Casualties

The governor of Russia’s Smolensk region reported that air defense systems had intercepted a drone attempting to strike a nuclear power plant. The plant continued operating normally, according to RIA state news agency. Reuters could not independently verify the report.

Meanwhile, in Russia’s Belgorod region, a mother and her two-year-old child were killed when a drone struck their home, according to the regional governor. The child’s father and another child were injured and hospitalized.

Both Ukraine and Russia deny targeting civilians in their attacks, though thousands of civilians—mostly Ukrainians—have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Russia’s Defense Ministry stated on Telegram that 104 Ukrainian drones had been involved in attacks across western Russia, with 11 intercepted over Smolensk. In total, Russian air defenses destroyed drones over nine regions, nearly half of them over Kursk, where Russian forces are battling to expel Ukrainian troops who crossed the border last August.


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