Ukrainian drones ignite chaos: Major Russian refineries hit
Russian services experienced a restless night. In the past few hours, Ukrainian drones have attacked several strategically essential sites in Russia. Among other targets, a prominent Russian army refinery caught fire.
Many of the reports provided by Russian media or government officials contain propaganda elements. These reports are part of the information warfare conducted by the Russian Federation.
Ukrainian forces targeted locations in the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions in southwestern Russia.
The governor of the Astrakhan region, Igor Babushkin, reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine attempted to attack fuel and energy facilities in that region using drones. - As a result of one of the drones crashing, a fire broke out, but there are no casualties, assured Babushkin.
Although the governor did not specify which facility was damaged, the Telegram channel Baza, linked to Russian special services, reported on a gas processing plant attack near Astrakhan.
Attacks in Russia. Aircraft grounded
Due to the attacks, the Russian aviation regulator Rosaviatsia suspended flights at airports in Astrakhan, Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, Saratov, Ulyanovsk, Vladikavkaz, Grozny, and Makhachkala.
Similar restrictions were implemented at the airport in Volgograd, where explosions were reported at the local refinery, causing power outages in the city.
Successful strike. Ukrainians aim to paralyze a key Russian industry
According to Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, the attacks on Russian refineries aim to limit the production of fuel that supplies the Russian military.
- It is crucial to stop the Volgograd refinery from producing gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil and aircraft fuel, which it supplies to the Russian military, emphasized Kovalenko.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Russian air defense intercepted and destroyed 70 Ukrainian drones at night over Russian territory, 25 of which were over the Volgograd region, 27 over the Rostov region, and 7 over the Astrakhan region.
The Volgograd Refinery is one of the largest in Russia, with a processing capacity of about 308 million barrels of oil per year.
