In a dramatic escalation, Ukraine launched a successful drone attack on Russia’s largest Black Sea refinery, causing significant damage and igniting a fire. This is the first major strike on a Russian refinery since May, with Ukrainian drones targeting the Tuapse facility in a bid to disrupt Russia’s energy supplies and cripple its war efforts. Despite Russian claims of intercepting many drones, the refinery’s operations were impacted, showcasing Ukraine’s growing capability to strike deep into Russian territory and intensify the ongoing conflict.
Ukraine launched its first drone attack on a significant Russian refinery early on Monday after failing to do so in mid-May. The goal of the several drones that were launched from Ukraine was to destroy Russia’s energy infrastructure.
Bloomberg reported that a drone strike overnight damaged Rosneft PJSC’s significant Tuapse refinery in southern Russia, which resulted in a fire, according to Russian officials.
“Infrastructure of the oil refinery in Tuapse was damaged as a result of falling drone debris,” Russian authorities wrote in a Telegram statement, adding the fire has since been contained.
One of the Ukrainian drones is seen hitting the Tuapse refinery in some of the most lucid footage of this battle so far.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted 75 Ukrainian drones in a different Telegram post. Near the refinery, at least eight of those drones were shot down.
The majority of this year has been devoted to Ukraine’s attacks against Russia’s energy complex to stop Moscow from funding wars. The largest refinery in Russia on the Black Sea, Tuapse can refine 12 million metric tons annually, or 240,000 barrels a day on average. It mostly serves China, Turkey, Malaysia, and Singapore with naphtha, fuel oil, vacuum gas oil, and high-sulfur diesel.
“This is the first successful Ukrainian attack on a major Russian refinery since mid-May, and it comes just as Russia’s oil-processing industry is on track to raise its runs to a six-month high to meet growing domestic fuel demand,” according to Bloomberg. Tuapse last saw a significant attack in the middle of May. We wrote a memo about it that said, “Desperate Ukraine Launches Massive Kamikaze Drone Attack Against Russian Black Sea Coast, Sparking Fire At Major Refinery.”
Energy analysts continue to predict an increase in Russia’s oil-processing volumes until the end of August, despite Ukraine’s targeting of Russian energy infrastructure in an attempt to halt exports of crude products.
Last month, GreatGameInternational reported that at the Black Sea Security Forum, Ukrainian officials unveiled kamikaze drone boats, signaling Ukraine’s strategy to challenge Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea Fleet. These lethal vessels pose a significant threat to maritime security.
One Response
It’s time for Russia to stop piddling around
and wipe out Nazi Ukraine!
The Third Hebrew World War is going to
come soon, anyway!
Better to attack than be attacked!