Ukrainian drones struck Russia's Syzran Oil Refinery, General Staff confirms
Editor's note: The story has been updated with confirmation from the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces.
Ukrainian drones attacked the Syzran Oil Refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast and a number of Russian military facilities in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine overnight on Dec. 28, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said.
"Strikes from attack UAVs have been recorded hitting the territory of the plant, followed by a fire," the report on Telegram states.
The refinery was attacked multiple times in the night, the Exilenova-Plus Telegram channel reported, citing video footage from local residents. Locals posted videos of fire trucks heading to the refinery after explosions.
The strike may have hit the Syzran Oil Refinery's ELOU-AVT-5 installation, a primary oil processing facility at the plant. An electrical substation in Syzran was also reportedly targeted overnight. Residents reported blackouts in the city after the drone attack, with one video purporting to show a direct hit on the substation.
Multiple explosions were heard in Syzran during the night and air defenses were active in the area, the Russian Telegram channel Shot reported. The Russian Defense Ministry later reported that 12 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Samara Oblast overnight.
Moreover, the Ukrainian military successfully struck a storage and maintenance facility for uncrewed boats in the area of Chornomorske in Russian-occupied Crimea, a repair unit from the 1435th Motor Rifle Regiment near the settlement of Antratsyt in Luhansk Oblast, a pontoon crossing near Nikonorivka, and a storage facility for Shahed-type UAVs in Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast.
"Additionally, the results of the recent strike on the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka oil products refinery in Volgograd Oblast, Russia, have been confirmed — a pipeline and an oil production unit for manufacturing lubricants were damaged," the General Staff added, presumably referring to the recent strike by Ukrainian drones on Dec. 26.
The Syzran Oil Refinery lies around 700 kilometers (430 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border. Opened in 1942, the facility belongs to the Russian state oil giant Rosneft and has an annual processing capacity of 7 to 8.9 million tons of oil.
The refinery has been targeted in previous drone attacks as part of Ukraine's campaign against the Russian oil industry, which provides funding and fuel for Moscow's war effort. A recent attack reportedly forced the refinery to halt operations on Dec. 5, according to Reuters.
Ukraine's military confirmed the Dec. 5 strike, saying it carried out the operation to "reduce the military and economic potential of the Russian aggressor."
Kyiv has also carried out strikes against electrical substations and other infrastructure facilities in Russia and Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. The attacks come as Moscow attempts to cripple Ukraine's energy and heating systems in the fourth winter of the full-scale invasion.
