Ukraine carries out massive drone attack on multiple oil refineries in at least 6 Russian oblasts
Ukrainian drones attacked Russia’s Kursk, Belgorod, Tula, Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod, and Bryansk oblasts, as well as Moscow leading to fire breaking out in oil depots near Orel city, and in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed at 7:30 a.m. MSK.
25 drones to have been intercepted, Russia’s MoD claimed.
Explosions were heard near the oil depot in Orel city in Kursk Oblast, which was spotted ablaze, and near the Lukoil oil depot in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod oblast.
Read also: Russia reports drone attack on oil depot in Kursk
Ignoring the explosions, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted Ukrainian drones over several Russian oblasts:
13 over Kursk Oblast, including 2 near Orel city
7 over Belgorod Oblast
2 near Moscow
1 over Leningrad Oblast
1 over Bryansk Oblast
1 over Tula Oblast
In addition to the Defense Ministry statement, one drone was intercepted over Voronezh Oblast, claimed oblast governor Oleksandr Gusev.
While Russia’s Defense Ministry ignored the fires at the oil depots and the results of other drone strikes, local authorities in Kursk, Voronezh, and Belgorod oblasts reported having a difficult night and morning.
Orel authorities evacuated 17 people from two nearby high-rise buildings after a drone fell on the "object of the fuel and energy complex", TASS propagandists wrote at 6:28 a.m. MSK, referencing Orel city mayor.
Read also: Kursk Oblast Governor claims infrastructure damage in drone attack
Several settlements in Belgorod’s Shebekinsky district were attacked at 6:23 a.m. MSK, the oblast governor claimed. Several windows were broken in two apartment buildings in Shebekyno, and an electric transmission line was damaged in the village of Nova Tavolzhanka.
Air defenses were at work in the Kursk and Bryansk oblasts, the governors claimed.
Nizhny Novgorod’s Lukoil refinery was also hit, resulting in a fire and the suspension of operations. The Nizhny Novgorod refinery is Lukoil Group’s largest and one of the biggest refineries in Russia.
Three more Ukrainian drones were allegedly shot down in Kursk Oblast, Kursk governor Roman Starovoit claimed, after another two were intercepted just an hour before.
A video of the “drone attack in Kursk” purports to show a Ukrainian drone seen over the Fatezh district in Kursk, claimed the VChK-OGPU Telegram channel.
Drone attacks were also reported in the Moscow, Tula, and Voronezh oblasts at around 4:00 a.m. MSK.
Read also: Russian Defense Ministry reports UAV attack in Bryansk and Kaluga oblasts
The Orel oil depot was confirmed to be ablaze at 3:45 a.m. MSK, allegedly from a drone attack, claimed TASS propagandists. More than 60 firefighters are on the scene, according to them.
A Ukrainian drone "that dropped four munitions" attacked Belgorod oblast at 1:50 a.m. MSK, Belgorod governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, claimed, adding that there were no casualties. “Seven settlements remain without electricity” after a power line was damaged, he alleged.
“A loud explosion over Orel” was heard around the same time, claimed the Ostorozhno, Novosti Telegram channel, referencing locals. The explosion was accompanied by smoke near the local oil depot by the Afanasievskoe Cemetery.
Local authorities have yet to comment.
"An oil depot exploded in Orel", the VchK-OGPU channel claimed, suggesting that it "was attacked by a drone."
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
