Explosions reported at Russian oil refinery amid drone attack
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Explosions were reported in Russia's Saratov Oblast overnight on Dec. 13 amid a drone attack on an oil refinery.
Saratov Oblast Governor Roman Busargin said on Telegram that civilian infrastructure had been damaged and that there were casualties, though he did not specify how many. Earlier, he warned that the region was facing the threat of a drone strike.
Several Telegram channels published images and videos, shared by local residents, that appeared to show explosions at the Saratov oil refinery.
The Kyiv Independent could not immediately verify the strike nor comments made by Russian officials.
The Saratov refinery is located in southwestern Russia, about 150 kilometers (100 miles) from the border with Kazakhstan and nearly 600 kilometers (370 miles) east of the front line in Ukraine.
The facility is owned by Russian state oil giant Rosneft and has a processing capacity of about 140,000 barrels of crude per day, producing more than 20 petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, and bitumen.
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted the refinery this fall, with strikes reported on Nov. 14 and Nov. 28.
Ukraine regularly launches long-range drone strikes against industrial and military sites inside Russia, with oil refineries among frequent targets as they fund and supply Moscow's war effort.
