Ukraine says it struck 2 oil refineries in Russia
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Long-range Ukrainian drones have hit two oil refineries in Russia's Krasnodar Krai and Samara Oblast, the General Staff said on Aug. 8.
In Krasnodar Krai, in southern Russia, the Ilsky Oil Refinery sustained "a direct hit," sparking a fire on the plant's grounds, according to the General Staff. It added that the refinery has six processing units with a total capacity of about 6.6 million metric tons of crude oil per year and that its products are used to support the Russian military.
Over 1,000 kilometers northeast in Samara Oblast, the Syrzan Oil Refinery had also sustained "a direct hit," with the General Staff reporting a fire at the facility.
The refinery belongs to state-controlled oil company Rosneft and produces over 20 types of petroleum products, from motor fuels to road bitumen, according to the General Staff. It has a design capacity of about 8.5 million metric tons of crude oil annually, it added.
"The facility is one of the key sites in the Samara Region's oil refining industry and supplies fuel, in particular, to meet the needs of the Russian armed forces," the General Staff said in its Telegram statement.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the General Staff's claim. Moscow claimed it had downed 83 Ukrainian drones overnight, but did not name Krasnodar Krai or Samara Oblast among the regions over which the drones were intercepted.
The attacks come as Ukraine ramps up its long-range strikes on occupied Ukrainian territories and deep inside Russia, targeting oil refineries, airfields, vessels belonging to Russia's shadow fleet, energy infrastructure, and military-industrial facilities.
Outmanned and outgunned on the front, Ukraine is trying to slowly grind down Russia's combat capability from afar.
Ukraine's recent strikes have targeted some of the biggest oil refineries in Russia, seeking to further exacerbate the country's fuel crisis.
Russia has tapped into its fuel reserves, with stocks falling by about 4% compared to the previous year, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in late June at a meeting with leaders of the Russian energy industry.
