Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
A fire broke out in a field near the Sarepta railway station in the Russian city of Volgograd in the early hours of March 15, the Russian news channel Astra reported, citing local accounts and geolocated footage.
The fire erupted during on ongoing drone attack targeting a nearby oil refinery, residents said.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.
The fire is reportedly located near a Gazprom gas station and the Sarepta railway station, several kilometers from the refinery, according to footage geolocated by Astra. Residents of Volgograd reported hearing several explosions and said drones were targeting the city.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on the morning of March 14 that 64 drones were shot down over Volgograd Oblast overnight.
The Volgograd refinery, owned by Russian oil giant Lukoil, has been targeted in previous attacks, most recently in a drone strike on Feb. 15.
Ukrainian drones also attacked the facility on Jan. 31, according to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces. The refinery has been targeted multiple times throughout the full-scale war.
Ukraine considers Russian oil refineries to be valid military targets, as fossil fuel products and profits continue to supply Moscow's war machine. The Ukrainian military has launched repeated attacks against Russian refineries with long-range drones.
Oleg Sukhov
(Updated: )
