A vital Russian oil refinery in the Krasnodar Krai region was set ablaze overnight following a targeted Ukrainian drone attack, according to the Kyiv Independent. The Afipsky refinery, one of the most important fuel-processing facilities in southern Russia, supplies the Russian army operating in Ukraine. The fire was extinguished after several hours, with no casualties reported.
The Operational Command of Krasnodar Krai confirmed the incident in a series of Telegram messages, stating that Ukraine carried out a precise strike on the Afipsky oil refinery during the night from Wednesday to Thursday. A fire broke out on the facility’s grounds, which was brought under control after several hours. Emergency services deployed 34 personnel and 12 units of equipment, including teams from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. No injuries or fatalities were recorded.
The Afipsky refinery processes approximately 6.25 million tons of crude oil annually, accounting for about 2% of Russia’s total oil output. Its primary role is to supply fuel to Russian military forces engaged in the war against Ukraine, making it a key strategic target.
Drone strikes hit civilian areas in Krasnodar region
Ukrainian drones also targeted other locations across the Krasnodar Krai. In the city of Krasnodar, a drone struck a residential building, shattering windows and igniting fires in two apartments. Governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported the attack, writing that emergency and special services were working at the scene. “According to preliminary information, two people have been injured,” he wrote.
In the Seversky District of Krasnodar Krai, drone debris fell on four private properties. Three of them sustained damage, primarily broken windows and doors, while a shed caught fire in one case. Governor Kondratyev noted that one person was injured in these attacks.
Crimea and russian retaliation
Explosions were also reported in occupied Crimea, as detailed by Ukrainska Pravda. Two bridges in Armyansk were damaged, and multiple blasts occurred on nearby highways. In Sevastopol, Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev confirmed damage to several residential buildings, with residents reporting shattered windows and damaged balconies. Four cars were also hit. Initially, Ukrainian media indicated that fuel would be unavailable in Sevastopol on Thursday due to blocked tanker deliveries, but Razvozhayev later stated that eight selected gas stations would offer diesel and two types of gasoline.
Russia did not remain idle overnight. According to the Kyiv Post, Moscow launched a massive retaliatory strike against Ukraine, firing over 220 drones and Iskander missiles across multiple regions. Ukrainian air defense intercepted most of them. Attacks were heard in the Konotop district of Sumy Oblast, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and Odesa Oblast. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that in Pavlohrad, a rescue unit building was damaged, leaving 12 people wounded. In the Synelnykove district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, fires broke out in several settlements, killing one person and injuring three others. Two private homes, a store, a farm, outbuildings, and vehicles were destroyed. Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames. In Zelenodolsk, one person was injured. Strikes in Nikopol and its vicinity damaged residential buildings and infrastructure.
Źródło: Polsat News, Fot. Polsat News
