Ukraine Claims Drone Strikes on Two Oil Refineries in Russian Krasnodar Region

Ukraine's security services have claimed responsibility for attacking two oil refineries in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, a source in security services told AFP Friday, Feb. 9.

Ukraine has launched drone attacks on Russia for months following Moscow's almost two-year offensive. 

"The services' drones hit two refineries in Krasnodar region at once -- not only the Ilsky refinery but also the Afipsky refinery," the source said.

"These refineries are legitimate targets. Not only do they work for defence and provide fuel for Russian troops, but they are also important for the Russian economy," it added.

Videos shared on social media showed flames at the refinery in Ilsky, a small town about 50 kilometres (30 miles) inland from the Black Sea coast.

Local rescue services in Krasnodar confirmed a fire erupted overnight at an oil refinery in Ilsky without specifying if the blaze was caused by the drone attack.

Damage at the refinery in the nearby town of Afipsky was not immediately clear, the Ukrainian source said.

Kyiv Post approached HUR for comments. Ukraine's Intel representatives said they could neither deny nor confirm Kyiv's involvement in the incident.

Russia and Ukraine fired a total 35 drones at each other overnight, the two countries' militaries said Friday, as both sides wage nightly attempts to strike targets behind the static frontline.

Russia's military shot down 19 Ukrainian drones over four different regions and the Black Sea, the defence ministry said, while Ukraine said it shot down 10 of 16 drones Russia fired.

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Russia's defence ministry said its "air defences had intercepted and destroyed drones in the regions of Kursk (2), Bryansk (5), Oryol (4), Krasnodar (2) and over the Black Sea (6)."

The drones in Oryol, some 170 kilometres (105 miles) from the border with Ukraine, were aimed at energy infrastructure, regional governor Andrei Klychkov wrote on Telegram.

On the night of Feb. 3, a fire erupted at a major Russian oil refinery in the southwestern Volgograd region after a drone attack blamed on Ukraine.

The Volgograd refinery is operated by Lukoil, an industry giant, and is touted as the "biggest producer of oil products in the federal South district," covering eight regions in southwest Russia. The refinery is situated south of the city of Volgograd, some 600 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Local media outlet V1 published photos claiming to depict an overnight explosion during the attack. Residents reported hearing two explosions.

Prior to that, on Jan 25, drones of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) attacked an oil refinery in the Russian city of Tuapse in the Krasnodar Territory.

"The SBU is striking deep into Russia and continues to attack facilities that are not only important for the Russian economy but also provide fuel for enemy troops. There will be many surprises ahead, the systematic work continues," a source told the Kyiv Post earlier this month.