Ukrainian drone attacks killed at least two people in Russia, regional authorities said Wednesday, while Ukraine’s military said it struck multiple oil refineries across the country as part of its ongoing campaign to disrupt Russian fuel supplies.
Saratov region Governor Roman Busargin said one person was killed overnight and several others were injured in a Ukrainian strike. He said industrial sites were also damaged but did not provide further details.
Ukraine claimed it struck a Rosneft-operated oil refinery in Saratov. Images shared on social media purportedly showed the refinery, which has been previously attacked, burning at night after drones crashed into it.
In the republic of Tatarstan, local authorities said Ukrainian drones targeted the industrial city of Nizhnekamsk, which is home to the TANECO and TAIF-NK oil refineries.
Videos and photos shared on social media appeared to show fire and smoke rising from the TANECO refinery, which reportedly halted operations in June following a strike by Ukrainian drones.
The TANECO facility is one of Russia‘s most technologically advanced refineries, equipped with hydrocracking, catalytic cracking and delayed coking units.
In a post on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said drones also struck an oil refinery in the republic of Bashkortostan. Local authorities have yet to comment on the alleged attack.
Meanwhile, in the Belgorod region, local authorities said a person was killed in a drone attack on a shopping center. At least six others, including a child, were injured.
In the southwestern Rostov region, Governor Yury Slyusar said two tankers were damaged in Taganrog Bay, which is part of the Sea of Azov. He said the vessels were empty and en route to the regional capital of Rostov-on-Don.
The governor added that two people suffered minor injuries.
Ukrainian drones have attacked a dozen tankers from Russia‘s so-called “shadow fleet” in the area over the past several days, according to Ukraine’s military, which claims the ships were trying to deliver fuel to annexed Crimea.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted 415 Ukrainian drones across Russia and annexed Crimea between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
Also on Wednesday, Gazprom said that drones had attacked the Krasnodarskaya pumping station, which helps send gas to Turkey via the Blue Stream pipeline. The company said exports had not been impacted.
Wednesday’s sweeping attacks come just two days after Ukraine hit Russia’s largest oil refinery in the Omsk region of western Siberia. The facility was reportedly forced to halt operations, prompting panic buying at gas stations across the region.
Since June, Russian regions have increasingly faced higher gasoline prices at the pump and, in some cases, outright shortages as a result of Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries and fuel supply networks.
The disruptions arrive at a critical time, with both the summer vacation travel season and the agricultural farming season in full swing. In response to the supply drop, authorities have introduced fuel rationing measures across the country and in annexed Crimea.
Reuters contributed reporting.
