Fires broke out at two oil refineries in Russia after Ukrainian drones struck them early Tuesday morning, local authorities said.
In the republic of Bashkortostan, regional head Radiy Khabirov said smoke could be seen rising from an industrial area in the city of Salavat after drone debris fell to the ground. He said no one was injured but did not provide further details.
Salavat, located around 1,300 kilometers (810 miles) east of Russia’s border with Ukraine, is home to the Gazprom-operated Neftekhim Salavat refinery, one of Russia’s largest oil refining and petrochemical facilities.
Independent media reports suggested that a Rosneft fuel depot was also targeted in the attack on Salavat.
In the southern Krasnodar region, local authorities said a fire broke out at the Afipsky refinery, which has been struck multiple times since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Authorities in Krasnodar later reported that firefighters extinguished the blaze. At least two people were injured in the attack.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Monday that it intercepted 288 Ukrainian drones in Russia and annexed Crimea between Monday night and Tuesday morning.
In annexed Crimea, Kremlin-installed authorities said a Ukrainian attack on energy sites caused a partial blackout in the port city of Sevastopol.
A state of emergency remains active in Crimea following previous Ukrainian strikes against energy infrastructure in the region last month.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin-installed head of the partially occupied Donetsk region said late Monday that Ukrainian drone attacks killed eight people, including a family of four.
Ukraine has struck most of Russia’s oil refineries in recent months, leading to acute gasoline shortages in some parts of the country. Most Russian regions have introduced fuel rationing measures since early June as authorities try to ensure the domestic market remains supplied.
Reuters reported this week that the Syzran oil refinery on the Volga River halted operations after a Ukrainian drone attack on July 12 damaged a primary processing unit.
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