Drone attack sets ablaze parts of southern Russia oil refinery

A day earlier, a fuel depot further to the west caught on fire near a bridge linking Russia's mainland with the occupied Crimea peninsula.

 A rescuer works at a site of a building heavily damaged by Russian drone strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Rzhyshchiv, in Kyiv region, Ukraine March 22, 2023 (photo credit: REUTERS/ALINA YARYSH)
A rescuer works at a site of a building heavily damaged by Russian drone strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Rzhyshchiv, in Kyiv region, Ukraine March 22, 2023
(photo credit: REUTERS/ALINA YARYSH)

A drone attack set ablaze parts of an oil refinery in southern Russia, but emergency services said they extinguished the fire just over two hours later news agency cited local emergency services as saying early on Thursday.

Tass said the incident occurred at the Ilsky refinery near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in the Krasnodar region. It cited a source as saying a fuel reservoir was on fire but gave no details.

A day earlier, a fuel depot further to the west caught on fire near a bridge linking Russia's mainland with the occupied Crimea peninsula.

"A second turbulent night for our emergency services," Krasnodar governor Veniamin Kondratyev wrote on Telegram. He said tanks with oil products were on fire at the Ilsky refinery but did not give a reason.

 Smoke rises over a fuel tank following an alleged drone attack in Sevastopol, Crimea, April 29, 2023. (credit: STRINGER/ REUTERS)
Smoke rises over a fuel tank following an alleged drone attack in Sevastopol, Crimea, April 29, 2023. (credit: STRINGER/ REUTERS)

There were no casualties, he said, citing preliminary data.

Responsibility for the drone attack

Ukraine rarely claims responsibility for what Moscow says are frequent drone strikes against infrastructure and military targets, particularly in regions close to Russia.

Moscow blamed Ukraine for an attack on April 29 that set fire to an oil depot in Sevastopol. Kyiv's military says undermining Russia's logistics is part of preparations for a long-expected counteroffensive.