By The Moscow Times | Created at 2025-03-17 09:40:27 | Updated at 2025-03-17 23:25:40
13 hours ago
Kuban 24
Authorities in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region said Monday that a large fire at the Tuapse oil refinery was extinguished three days after a Ukrainian drone attacked the facility.
“The fire has been put out at the Tuapse oil complex,” Tuapse municipal district head Sergei Boyko wrote on Telegram. “Work continues. Firefighters have the situation under control.”
Krasnodar region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said the fire spread across more than 1,000 square meters but caused no injuries when the refinery was attacked Friday.
The Tuapse refinery is one of Russia’s largest, with an annual processing capacity of 12 million metric tons of oil, according to Andriy Kovalenko, spokesman for Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council's Countering Disinformation Center.
Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian energy infrastructure in long-range drone strikes, which it describes as retaliation for Moscow’s missile attacks that have crippled its power grid and left millions without electricity.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense systems intercepted or destroyed 72 Ukrainian drones over nine Russian regions between Sunday evening and Monday morning.
A “mass drone attack” targeted a fuel and energy complex in southern Russia’s Astrakhan region, injuring one person. Russia’s Defense Ministry said 13 drones attacked the area overnight.
“A fire broke out at the facility due to falling drone fragments,” Astrakhan region Governor Igor Babushkin wrote on Telegram.
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