According to a Ukrainian security source speaking to AFP on Thursday, Ukrainian security services were behind an overnight drone attack on an oil refinery in the southern Russian town of Tuapse. Kyiv has intensified its strikes on Russian oil and gas facilities in recent months as a form of “just” retaliation for Russian attacks on its own energy infrastructure.
The refinery in Tuapse, located about 240 kilometers southeast of the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula, was described as a critical target by the source. The source reported that “a large-scale fire broke out” after two powerful explosions, damaging the primary oil processing unit, specifically the vacuum and atmospheric columns.
Videos shared on social media overnight depicted intense flames and smoke engulfing the refinery, which is owned by Russian oil giant Rosneft. Sergey Boiko, the head of the Tuapse district, stated on Telegram that a vacuum unit was ablaze and confirmed that there were no reported casualties. Nearly 100 people and 31 pieces of equipment were deployed to extinguish the blaze, which was brought under control around 5:00 a.m.
Ukraine has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in the past two weeks, including a significant fire at a depot in western Russia last Friday.
