Drones attacked Russia's Krasnodar Krai on Feb. 10, reportedly targeting the Afipskiy oil refinery, a key facility processing 6.25 million tons of oil annually, claimed Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation.
The refinery, located roughly 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the front line, is a strategic logistics hub for diesel fuel and aviation kerosene used by Russian troops, Kovalenko said.
While other Ukrainian officials have not commented on the report, the strike would align with Kyiv's strategy to disrupt Russian fuel supplies and reduce Moscow's war funding.
It is not immediately clear whether the refinery suffered significant damage in the attack.
Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratiev confirmed the drone attack against the region, saying that a residential complex in Krasnodar was hit. According to the governor, downed drone debris fell on a technical superstructure of a high-rise building, causing no casualties.
The Russian Telegram channel Shot, close to Russian security forces, reported that residents heard powerful explosions around 2:00 a.m. local time, with eyewitnesses noting "air defense activity" near the Afipskiy refinery.
Abbey Fenbert
Kovalenko emphasized the refinery's importance, claiming it provides fuel for Russian military equipment, particularly in southern Ukraine.
"That is why the Afipskiy refinery is not only an industrial facility but also an important element of Russia's military infrastructure," he added.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify all the claims.
Ukraine has regularly targeted Russian oil facilities with long-range drone strikes to disrupt fuel supplies to the Russian military and reduce Moscow's energy export revenues, a critical source of funding for its war effort.
Krasnodar Krai has been targeted multiple times over the past week. Ukrainian forces struck an oil facility in the village of Novominskaya in Krasnodar Krai overnight on Feb. 5, according to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces.
Novominskaya lies roughly 250 kilometers (150 miles) from the front line in Ukraine. The General Staff described the facility as a "mini-refinery" involved in the supply of gasoline and diesel fuel for Russian forces in Ukraine.
The General Staff also reported on Feb. 6 to have struck Krasnodar Krai's Primorsko-Akhtarsk airfield with drones.
The airfield, located 230 kilometers (142 miles) from the front line, is a key launch site for Russian Shahed-type drones used against Ukraine, the General Staff said, adding it also serves as a storage, training, and maintenance facility for aircraft operating in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.
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