Ukraine’s drone attack on 12 March has damaged two Russian oil refineries in the Oryol region, Russian authorities confirmed.
Russia’s state-owned news agency RIA said that two drones attacked the Kstovo industrial zone, a fuel and energy complex facility. Subsequently, a fire broke out at one of the oil processing refineries.
Russian energy giant Lukoil said that its technological unit was temporarily halted “due to the incident”, RIA reported.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that 25 Ukrainian drones targeted seven regions, but no more information was provided about the incident at the oil refinery.
“A UAV crashed in Oryol. A fuel and energy complex facility was attacked. Special services are working on the spot to contain the fire. There were no casualties,” Oryol’s governor Andrey Klychkov posted on the Telegram social media platform.
Footage of the fire at the oil depot, 170km from Ukraine, was posted on Telegram on 12 March. “Belgorod oblast [Russia’s federal oblast] allegedly saw seven villages left without electricity due to a drone strike, as per the governor,” the post said.
BBC Russia reported that the Russian military destroyed seven drones in the Belgorod region, 11 in the Kursk region, two in the Moscow and Oryol regions, and one in the Bryansk, Leningrad and Tula regions.
Ukraine, which is subject to daily attacks by Russia, has not yet commented on the statements made by the Russian authorities.
Industry sources told Reuters that the main crude distillation unit (AVT-6) at the NORSI refinery was damaged due to the attack, which has halted at least half of the refinery’s production.
According to industry sources, NORSI refines about 15.8 million tonnes of Russian crude a year or 5.8% of the country’s total refined crude, Reuters reported.
According to Reuters, it refines approximately 4.9 million tonnes of gasoline, which accounts for 11% of Russia’s total gasoline output. Additionally, it produces 6.4% of the country’s diesel fuel, 5.6% of fuel oil and 7.4% of its aviation fuel.
