Russian oil refinery partially shuts down after drone attack

Certain "technological facilities" of the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Rostov Oblast have shut down after an overnight drone attack, Rostov Oblast Governor Vasiliy Golubev said on Telegram on March 13.

Russian officials have claimed an uptick in the intensity of drone attacks in recent days, with alleged attacks on oil refineries reported in Ryazan Oblast, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Leningrad Oblast, and the city of Oryol.

The Novoshakhtinsk refinery is situated close to the border with partially Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast, around 200 kilometers (124 miles) behind the front line.

Golubev claimed earlier on March 13 that three drones had been destroyed on approach to the refinery in the early morning.

The governor published a later update that a drone had fallen onto the territory of the Novoshakhtinsk refinery. There were no casualties, but certain "technological facilities" of the refinery had been shut down, Golubev claimed.

Ukrainska Pravda reported that Ukraine's military intelligence agency was responsible for the attack, citing a source in the agency who said the attack was part of a pre-planned and ongoing operation.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that 65 drones had been downed overnight and on the morning of March 13.

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