Speculations rife over potential drone attack on Russia's Rosneft refinery fire
2:43 AM EST, January 25, 2024
The fire occurred on the Black Sea coast in Tuapse, Krasnodar Territory. This is where the Rosneft refinery, one of the country's largest, is located. It processes approximately 13.2 million US tons of oil yearly.
Kommersant's preliminary reports indicate no casualties, and the fire was effectively extinguished at 12:53 am Eastern Time.
Sergei Boyko, the head of the Tuapse region, revealed that a vacuum installation was the fire's origin. Though, he didn't provide possible causes for the fire.
Even though the Ukrainian army hasn't claimed responsibility for the attack, speculation is mounting that the fire might be the result of another drone strike.
Per Kommersant's report, Boyko requested a Telegram channel, asking the public to refrain from sharing video recordings related to the incident "to avoid negative consequences". Nevertheless, some of these recordings surfaced on social media.
This is not Russia's first encounter with this type of occurrence. It’s the fourth incident in the country just this year.
In the past, Tuapse has been a target, too. In February of the previous year, fuel depots were struck by two drones. There had been speculation then that the nearby barracks could become a target.
