Ukraine launches drone attack on key oil facility in south of Russia
- 31 January, 09:55
Ukraine launched an overnight drone attack on a large oil refinery in Russia’s southern region of Volgorad, causing large-scale fire, regional governor said on Friday.
Adnrei Bocharov, the governor of Volgorad, said Russia air forces repelled an attack by eight drones. “As a result of falling of debris from one of the drones, a fire broke out on the territory of an oil refinery, which was promptly extinguished. One injured oil refinery worker has been hospitalized,” the governor said.
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces confirmed the attack on January 31, stating that fire and explosions were recorded near the plant, though the extent of the damage is still being assessed.
The General Staff said the facility in Volgograd was "one of the 10 largest oil refineries in Russia in terms of design capacity." The oil refinery is owned by Russia’s oil giant Lukoil state-owned company. The operation to strike the refinery that is located around 500 kilometers from the front line, was carried out jointly by the Unmanned Systems Forces and Ukraine's military intelligence agency, known as HUR.
The refinery produces gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, and aviation fuel," Andrii Kovalenko, head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said.
Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russia’s oil and energy infrastructure. The drone attack on Vologorad follows the recent strike on oil facility in Russia’s Ryazan region, a distillery in Tambov region and a chemical plant in Bryansk.
