Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery and a residential building in the republic of Bashkortostan, leaving at least one person injured, regional head Radiy Khabirov said Wednesday.
Khabirov said air defense systems intercepted four of six drones that targeted the region overnight. One drone sparked a fire at an oil refinery in the regional capital of Ufa, hitting a unit that was undergoing maintenance.
“We’re currently assessing the damage, but preliminary reports indicate that a unit undergoing maintenance was hit. As always, falling debris damages pipes, so there’s minor damage,” Khabirov told the state-run news agency TASS.
“I expect everything will be repaired in a couple of days,” he was quoted as saying.
Another drone crashed into a residential building in northern Ufa, shattering upper-floor windows and damaging parked cars, Khabirov said. One person was hospitalized for injuries sustained during the attack.
Videos and photos on social media purportedly showed smoke rising from the blackened facade of the apartment building.
Located over 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from the Ukrainian border, Bashkortostan is a major hub for Russia’s oil processing industry. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted refineries and energy infrastructure in the region.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted 453 Ukrainian drones across Russia and annexed Crimea between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, authorities said at least six people were killed in separate Russian strikes on the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
