Ukraine fired at least 13 missiles and 84 drones into Russian territory, causing an oil refinery in the southern Rostov region to burn for hours, Russian officials said Thursday.
Since the start of the war in 2022, Ukraine has repeatedly attempted to strike Russia’s oil infrastructure – which underpins a significant part of the Russian war economy – as Russia advances rapidly.
According to the Defense Ministry, Russian air defenses shot down 84 drones in Russian territories, including 36 in the Rostov region.
The acting governor of Rostov, Yuriy Slusser, said Ukraine had hit the area with at least 13 missiles and dozens of drones, sparking a fire at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery.
Tracers and a flying Russian drone are seen in the night sky as Ukrainian soldiers shoot at the drone during a Russian drone strike, in Kiev, Ukraine, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Reuters
Slusser said at least one person was injured in the attack. The fire was extinguished on Thursday morning.
It was not immediately clear which missiles Ukraine fired at Rostov, although Kiev earlier this month hit a Russian military airfield with US-made ATACMS missiles, prompting a major Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Following approval from US President Joe Biden’s administration, Ukraine struck Russia with six US-made ATACMS on November 19 and British Storm Shadow missiles and US-made HIMARS on November 21.
Following those attacks, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile known as the “Oreshnik” or Hazel Tree over Ukraine on November 21.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s official Center Against Disinformation, wrote in a Telegram that the missile attack was focused on the Kamensky chemical plant “which produces rocket fuel specializing in solid fuel components for rocket engines”.
Reuters Battleground accounts from both sides could not be independently verified.
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