Ukraine strikes oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov
- 19 December, 08:30
Ukraine has struck an oil refinery in Russia’s southern Rostov region with over 13 missiles and 84 drones, sparking a large-scale fire, Russian officials reported on Thursday.
The fire in the oil refinery was extinguished four hours later, Rostov region Governor Yuri Slyusar said, adding that several other towns and cities in the region were subjected to Ukrainian drone attacks. One person was wounded in a village near the city of Rostov “due to the fall of drone fragments.”
Ukraine’s SBU Security Service confirmed the attack on the Novoshakhtinsky Oil Refinery in Rostov. The ELOU-AVT-2.5 unit, which produces liquefied petroleum gases, was reportedly hit in the assault.
The SBU said the operation was carried out jointly with the Ukrainian Naval Forces and in two stages. The agency explained that first, its drones overwhelmed the Russian air defense systems protecting the refinery, creating a critical “window of opportunity.” This allowed Ukrainian-produced jet-powered missiles, coordinated by the SBU and the Navy, to successfully strike the facility in the next phase.
Meanwhile, Russian Defence Ministry revealed that air defense systems destroyed more than 80 drones across the country, including 36 over Rostov region.
It should be noted that Rostov region that is located on the border with Ukraine, is a frequent target of Kyiv’s cross-border attacks. Two more attacks were launched in Rostov and Bryansk region last week, sparking fire at an oil depot and damaging an industrial facility
