Russia thwarts drone attack on Krasnodar oil refinery, officials say

The Ilsky refinery, near the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, has a processing capacity of around 6.6 million tonnes per year. It has been attacked several times this month.

 A general view of a fire at the oil storage facility in Ilsky, Krasnodar region, Russia, in this undated picture released on May 4, 2023 and obtained from social media. (photo credit: Governor of Krasnodar Region Veniamin Kondratyev via Telegram/Handout/Handout via REUTERS)
A general view of a fire at the oil storage facility in Ilsky, Krasnodar region, Russia, in this undated picture released on May 4, 2023 and obtained from social media.
(photo credit: Governor of Krasnodar Region Veniamin Kondratyev via Telegram/Handout/Handout via REUTERS)

Russia's air defense systems destroyed several drones as they approached the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region near the Black Sea, local officials said on Sunday.

"Several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) tried to approach the territory of the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar Krai," the region's emergency officials said on the Telegram messaging channel.

"All of them were neutralized, the infrastructure of the plant was not damaged."

"Several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) tried to approach the territory of the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar Krai. All of them were neutralized, the infrastructure of the plant was not damaged."

Krasnodar emergency officials

The officials did not say who launched the attack. Reuters was not able to independently verify the report.

Ukraine-Russia War and attacks on Russian oil installations

On Saturday, Moscow said that Ukraine had struck oil pipeline installations deep inside Russia. Kyiv almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia and on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.

 Firefighters work to put out a fire at product storage facilities of the Ilsky oil refinery in the settlement of Ilsky in the Krasnodar region, Russia, in this still image taken from video released May 4, 2023.  (credit: Governor of Krasnodar Region Veniamin Kondratyev via Telegram/Handout/Handout via REUTERS)
Firefighters work to put out a fire at product storage facilities of the Ilsky oil refinery in the settlement of Ilsky in the Krasnodar region, Russia, in this still image taken from video released May 4, 2023. (credit: Governor of Krasnodar Region Veniamin Kondratyev via Telegram/Handout/Handout via REUTERS)

The Ilsky refinery, near the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, has a processing capacity of around 6.6 million tonnes per year. It has been attacked several times this month.