Ukrainian drones ignite fire at Russian refinery despite defenses
7:28 AM EDT, July 22, 2024
The Ukrainian drones targeted the refinery in Tuapse, located in the Krasnodar Krai region. The Russian air defense tried to neutralize the threat but was unsuccessful.
A fire broke out in the refinery, which belongs to the Rosneft company but was reportedly extinguished.
According to the residents of Tuapse, the explosions at the petrochemical plant started around 9:30 PM ET, with at least five powerful detonations reported.
Local authorities stated that from Sunday night to Monday morning, the air defense system shot down eight unmanned aerial vehicles around Tuapse. There are no reported casualties or material losses.
Fierce battles on the front
On Sunday, there were 77 combat clashes along the front lines against the Russian aggressor. The Russians conducted over 3,200 shellings of Ukrainian military positions in total, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In the past 24 hours, the Russians attacked Ukrainian territory twice using missiles, conducted 52 airstrikes with 69 guided cluster bombs, and deployed 713 kamikaze drones. Intense fighting occurred, especially in the Pokrovsk direction. The enemy was also active in the Kharkiv and Kupiansk directions, as the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Sunday evening.
In the Kharkiv direction, the Russian aggressor carried out nine attacks on Sunday in the vicinities of Hlubokoe and Vovchansk, seven of which were successfully repelled. Preliminary estimates indicate that the Russians suffered 79 casualties, with soldiers killed and wounded. Additionally, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed a tank, two artillery systems, an armored fighting vehicle, 12 military vehicles, and three pieces of special equipment.
The highest activity of Russian forces was observed in the Pokrovsk direction, where in the past 24 hours, they attempted 27 times to breach Ukrainian defenses. Twenty-two attacks were repelled, and fighting is still ongoing in five locations. "Ukrainian defenders are taking actions to stabilize the situation and prevent the enemy from penetrating deeper into Ukrainian territory," reads the Sunday communication from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
