Ukrainian drones reportedly strike oil refinery, cause blackouts in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai
Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Explosions rocked an oil refinery in the Russian city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban amid a Ukrainian drone attack overnight on Dec. 17, media reported.
The Telegram news channel Exilenova Plus published video from residents showing the local oil refinery in flames. Slavyansk-on-Kuban is located in Krasnodar Krai in southern Russia near the Azov and Black seas.
The morning after the attack, the Operational Headquarters of Krasnodar Krai reported that the drone strike damaged two high-voltage power lines, causing blackouts for over 38,000 people. At the time of the report, 13,000 people were still without power.
Two people were also injured by falling drone debris, officials said.
The Operational Headquarters did not mention the refinery in the report.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that 31 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Krasnodar Krai during the night.
Kyiv has not yet commented on the attack, and the reports could not be independently verified.
A drone attack and explosions were also reported in Russia’s Saratov Oblast, located about 330 kilometers (205 miles) from Ukraine’s northeastern border with Russia.
Ukraine regularly strikes Russian military and energy infrastructure in an effort to diminish Moscow’s fighting power as it continues to wage its war against Ukraine.
Russian energy directly funds the Kremlin’s war, and energy infrastructure sites are considered military targets by Kyiv.
Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale attack against Russian military and oil facilities, striking assets in Russia and in occupied territories, including Crimea, Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Dec. 14.
The Slavneft-Yanos oil refinery in Yaroslavl, one of Russia’s five largest, was struck in a drone attack overnight on Dec. 12, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed later the same day.
Meanwhile, in the Russian city of Belgorod, a Ukrainian missile attack caused “serious damage” to local infrastructure, Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed on Dec. 14.
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