Russia blamed Ukraine for drone strikes that ignited massive fires at oil depots in western Russia on Friday, following a similar attack on one of the country’s largest refineries. These cross-border attacks come as the Russia-Ukraine war nears its third year.
Russian officials reported that four oil reservoirs, with a combined capacity of 6,000 cubic meters (1.6 million gallons), were set ablaze at a refinery in Klintsy, a city of 70,000 people located 40 miles from the Ukrainian border. Authorities said that although air defenses electronically jammed the drone, it managed to deliver its explosive payload.
Bryansk regional governor Alexander Bogomaz confirmed there were no casualties, though the fire caused significant damage. Firefighters faced challenges extinguishing the blaze.
The attack marked the second on Russian oil facilities in consecutive days. Ukrainian forces also targeted the Ryazan oil refinery southeast of Moscow, Russia’s third-largest refinery controlled by Rosneft. The massive fire at the Ryazan facility was extinguished without reported injuries.
Ukraine’s military said on Friday it launched a drone strike on a Russian oil refinery and a microchip factory, targeting the refinery’s production facilities and an oil pumping station.
Russian officials claimed their forces repelled a large-scale overnight drone attack, but sources confirmed that Ukraine struck one of Russia’s oldest refineries in Ryazan. The strike damaged storage tanks, a railway loading rack, and a hydrotreater unit used for removing impurities from refined products.
Social media videos showed flames and smoke engulfing the Ryazan refinery, with people fleeing in panic. Reuters verified the footage’s location but not its timing.
Ukraine’s attacks demonstrate its capability to target Russian infrastructure deep inside the country. As the war continues, both nations are fortifying their positions ahead of potential peace talks.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated he plans to swiftly end the nearly three-year war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed willingness to discuss peace but said negotiations with Ukraine were complicated by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s decree banning talks with Moscow.
