Ukrainian drones target Russian oil refineries to disrupt war funds
Three refineries in the Samara region of European Russia were recently targeted by drone attacks. These assaults were purportedly orchestrated by the Ukrainian Security Service, marking yet another instance of such attacks in recent days, as revealed by the portal RBK-Ukraine.
3:11 PM EDT, March 16, 2024
The Russian channel Baza reported that one of the refineries, located in Syzran, was struck by an unmanned drone around 11 PM Eastern Time (corresponding to 9 PM in Poland). The impact sparked a fire covering an area of about 5,382 square feet.
Another refinery, this time in Novokuibyshevsk, also came under attack, resulting in a fire which has now been extinguished.
The municipal authorities in Syzran have confirmed these incidents. They assured that there were no injuries, and that all workers were safely evacuated. Both plants are part of the Rosneft conglomerate.
RBK-Ukraine, basing its information on Saturday afternoon revelations from sources, stated that these attacks on the refineries were executed by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU).
According to these sources, the SBU deployed strike drones against three Rosneft oil refineries in the Samara region that night," reported the portal.
The targeted facilities collectively refine roughly 25 million tons of oil per year, accounting for almost 10 percent of Russia's entire oil refining capacity, the report added.
By targeting these refineries, the SBU aims to "weaken the economic powerhouse that supports Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine." According to RBK-Ukraine, this tactic significantly hampers the flow of petrodollars that bolster the Russian military economy, highlighting the ongoing strategic effort against Russian refineries.
These incidents are only the latest in a series of attacks on Russian oil infrastructure. Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) sources reported that Ukrainian drones also hit a refinery in the Kaluga region near Moscow last Friday. Prior to that, on Wednesday, the targets included the Novoshakhtinsk Product Company in the Rostov region and refineries in Ryazan, Kstovo in the Nizhny Novgorod region, and Kirishi in the Leningrad region.
Source: RBK-Ukraine, PAP
