In Moscow, a Ukrainian drone targeted Russia’s third-largest oil refinery, located about 1,300 km (800 miles) from the front lines. The drone struck a unit at the Taneco refinery, which processes approximately 155,000 barrels of crude per day, although the damage was reported to be not significant according to an industry source.
Officials from Russia claimed that their jamming devices detected the Ukrainian drone near the Taneco refinery. The refinery has an annual production capacity of over 17 million tons (340,000 barrels per day).
Images from the scene indicated that the drone hit the primary refining unit, CDU-7, at the refinery, but the damage appeared to be minimal. An anonymous industry source mentioned that the damage to the unit was not critical and personnel were returning to the plant.
A fire broke out at the refinery but was quickly extinguished within 20 minutes, as reported by the state news agency RIA. The incident did not disrupt the output of the refinery.
Ramil Mullin, the mayor of Nizhnekamsk in the Tatarstan region where the refinery is situated, stated that no serious damage had been caused by the drone strike.
The specific unit that was hit represents around half of the plant’s total annual production capacity and accounts for about 6.2% of Russia’s refining capacity. A military intelligence source in Ukraine claimed that the strike aimed to reduce Russia’s oil revenue.
Another Ukrainian intelligence source mentioned that Ukrainian-made drones also targeted a Russian facility producing long-range “Shahed” attack drones, resulting in significant damage. Several other attacks were reported in Tatarstan, a region known for its industrial activity.
Ukraine has recently started attacking Russian oil refineries, impacting Moscow’s refined products trade. The attacks come in response to extensive Russian missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid. Approximately 14% of Russia’s refining capacity has been shut down by drone attacks, impacting the demand for Russian crude.
These attacks have raised concerns in Washington about potential escalation with Russia, the largest nuclear power in the world. Ukraine justifies its drone attacks as necessary for its survival and in response to the damage caused by Russian air strikes on its infrastructure.
Ukraine sees its drone production efforts as a way to counter the better-equipped Russian forces. When asked about US involvement in the attacks, the Kremlin suggested directing the question to the defense ministry and security services.
Since President Putin’s decision to send troops into Ukraine, drones have played a significant role in the conflict. Ukraine has conducted several high-profile attacks inside Russia to disrupt its war efforts. A powerful ally of Putin alleged that NATO was assisting in organizing strikes on Russian territory.
Reports indicate that Ukrainians are solely responsible for planning and executing the drone attacks inside Russia, despite the US disavowing any support for such actions. Additional drone attacks were reported in Yelabuga and Nizhnekamsk, causing injuries to several individuals.
(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Mark Heinrich)
