Ukraine Strikes Major Russian Oil Refinery with Drone Attack

Washington: Kyivs military intelligence agency on Saturday confirmed that a Ukrainian drone struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries roughly 1,400 kilometres from the Ukraine border. Russian official Radiy Khabirov stated that the attack had caused minor damage to the refinery.

According to France24.com, a Ukrainian drone crashed into one of Russia’s largest oil refining complexes on Saturday, sparking a fire and causing minor damage, a Russian official reported. The complex, owned by Russian oil company Bashneft, is located on the outskirts of the central Russian city of Ufa.

“There were no casualties or injuries. The production site sustained minor damage, and a fire broke out, which is currently being extinguished,” Khabirov added. A source in Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency claimed responsibility for the attack.

Since Moscow launched its full-scale military offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv has responded with attacks on Russian refineries in an attempt to curb the Kremlin’s ability to fund the conflict. US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged all NATO countries to stop buying oil from Russia to increase pressure on Moscow to end the conflict. However, NATO members Turkey, Hungary, and Slovakia continue to purchase oil from Russia.

A wave of Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries over the summer hit processing capacity at several key sites and pushed fuel prices up at the pump. The Kremlin described Bashneft’s Ufa refining complex in 2016 as “one of the largest in the country,” noting that it produced more than 150 types of oil products.