Ukraine confirms drone strike on oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai
An oil refinery in the Russian city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban was struck in a drone attack overnight on Dec. 17, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed.
"Defence Force units used Deep Strike weapons to strike infrastructure at the Slavyansk oil refinery in the city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban," the General Staff said on Telegram.
"Explosions and a fire have been reported in the area of the target. The extent of damage to the facility is being assessed," it added.
Slavyansk-on-Kuban is located in Krasnodar Krai in southern Russia near the Azov and Black seas. The General Staff said that the Slavyansk oil refinery is involved in supplying Russian Forces and processes crude oil and condensate at a capacity of approximately 5.2 million tonnes per year as of 2025.
The Telegram news channel Exilenova Plus published video from residents showing the oil refinery in flames.
The morning after the attack, the Operational Headquarters of Krasnodar Krai reported that the drone strike damaged two high-voltage power lines, causing blackouts for over 38,000 people. At the time of the report, 13,000 people were still without power.
Two people were also injured by falling drone debris, officials said.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that 31 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Krasnodar Krai during the night.
A drone attack and explosions were also reported in Russia's Saratov Oblast, located about 330 kilometers (205 miles) from Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia.
Ukraine regularly strikes Russian military and energy infrastructure in an effort to diminish Moscow's fighting power as it continues to wage its war against Ukraine.
Russian energy directly funds the Kremlin's war, and energy infrastructure sites are considered military targets by Kyiv.
Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale attack against Russian military and oil facilities, striking assets in Russia and in occupied territories, including Crimea, Ukraine's General Staff reported on Dec. 14.
The Slavneft-Yanos oil refinery in Yaroslavl, one of Russia's five largest, was struck in a drone attack overnight on Dec. 12, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed later the same day.
