Ukraine continued its intensified drone assaults on Russian territory, striking a major oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region and causing at least two fatalities, according to Russian authorities. The attacks, which also reportedly hit a refinery in the Yaroslavl region, are part of Ukraine's strategy to cripple Russia's ability to fund its ongoing invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Telegram that the strikes on two oil refineries were part of the nation's "long-range sanctions." He added that each strike "means a reduction in the resources that fuel the Russian war machine, and another step toward peace."
In the Krasnodar region, debris from downed Ukrainian drones ignited a fire at the refinery in Slavyansk-na-Kubani. Russian authorities reported that one person died in Slavyansk and another was injured in a nearby village due to falling debris. The Slavyansk refinery is a significant processing facility in southern Russia, handling nearly four million tons of crude oil annually and serving as a key export hub for petroleum products through Black Sea ports. Social media images and videos showed thick smoke emanating from the facility, though the Associated Press could not immediately verify their authenticity.
Zelenskyy also claimed that a second refinery in the Yaroslavl region, located approximately 435 miles from the Ukrainian border, was targeted. While Russian authorities did not immediately confirm the strike on the Yaroslavl refinery, local Governor Mikhail Evraev reported that some roads between Moscow and Yaroslavl were temporarily closed due to an "enemy attack by Ukrainian drones." Yaroslavl's airport, along with others in southern and western Russia, experienced brief overnight closures, according to the Russian civil aviation agency.
Beyond the refinery strikes, Ukrainian drone attacks in Russia's Belgorod region resulted in one death and one injury, according to acting Governor Alexander Shuvayev. Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed to have intercepted 213 Ukrainian drones overnight across various regions, including Russia, occupied Crimea, and the Black and Azov seas. Concurrently, Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 142 long-range strike drones and eight missiles overnight, with 125 drones and seven missiles being intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses.