Ukraine struck an oil pumping station in Russia’s Krasnodar region, an official from Ukraine’s SBU security service said yesterday, the latest target of a campaign by Kyiv to attack Russian strategic infrastructure.
The Tikhoretsk hub is one of the largest oil points in southern Russia and is the only supply route for petroleum products to the key Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, the official said, adding that a large-scale fire broke out after the drone strike on Tikhoretsk.
The Sheskharis oil terminal in Novorossiysk was attacked by Ukrainian drones earlier this month, leading to the temporary suspension of oil loadings.
The Tikhoretsk hub, operated by pipeline monopoly Transneft, has ample storage and oil mixing facilities, as well as a rail terminal.
The oil it pumps is destined both for exports and domestic use, including at Rosneft’s Tuapse refinery.
Transneft did not reply to a Reuters request for comment.
Russia’s regional task force said no one had been injured in the drone strike, while the Russian Defence Ministry said that 80 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted and destroyed over Russian regions overnight.
Kyiv has conducted regular long-range strikes on Russia, aiming to knock out oil refineries, depots and pipelines to cripple Moscow’s main source of funding for its war in Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly struck energy infrastructure in Ukraine since it invaded its neighbour in February 2022.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s state-run Centre for Countering Disinformation, said Ukrainian forces have in the past month alone attacked several chemicals plants in Russia producing explosives.
Those included two strikes on Metafrax Chemicals, as well as attacks on Dorogobuzh, UralKhim, Akron and KuibyshevAzot, he added.
“Ukraine is gradually destroying Russia’s military-industrial complex and its cycles,” Kovalenko said on the Telegram messaging app. On Tuesday, Ukraine struck the key Kremniy El factory producing missile components in the Russian border region of Bryansk.
Meanwhile, the presidents of Romania and Ukraine signed a statement of intent yesterday to produce Ukrainian defence systems including drones in Romania, they said after a meeting in Bucharest.
Romania, an EU and NATO member, shares a 650-km border with Ukraine, including along the Danube river where Ukrainian ports on the opposite bank have come under Russian attack and Russian drones have breached Romanian airspace.
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