A fire erupted at a refinery in Tuapse, located in southeastern Russia, after debris from a downed drone struck a gasoline storage tank. The incident was reported by Russia’s pro-Putin media outlet, Mash, which cited local authorities.
Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of the Krasnodar region, confirmed the attack through a Telegram post, stating, “The area of the fire exceeds 1,000 square meters, and emergency services are currently on-site.”
The Tuapse refinery, with a processing capacity of 12 million tons per year, is crucial in supplying fuel to Russia’s military. It has repeatedly been targeted amid Ukraine’s increasing efforts to strike fossil fuel facilities.
This latest incident follows a pattern, as the refinery was previously hit in January 2024, leading to a three-month shutdown. The facility was struck again shortly after reopening in May.
While Kyiv has not officially commented on the strike, videos circulating on social media show a large fire at the heart of the refinery. Eyewitnesses reported hearing multiple explosions over several minutes.
The attack on Tuapse comes just days after Ukraine launched its largest single drone assault on Russia. On Tuesday, a series of aerial attacks saw hundreds of drones target various locations across the country. The assault resulted in three fatalities, at least three injuries, and significant disruptions to Moscow’s airports.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported downing 337 unmanned aircraft across the nation, including 91 over Moscow, 126 in the Kursk region, which is partially under Ukrainian occupation, and 38 over the Bryansk Oblast in the west.
