A Russian oil refinery near Ukraine states that it was hit by a drone attack
A drone attack struck a major Russian oil refinery near the Ukrainian border, and factory management said it sent a ball of fire and black smoke swirling into the sky, urging it to shut down.
Officials at the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in the Rostov region of Russia said the first drone attacked at 8:40 am (05:40 GMT) and collided with a crude distiller, causing a blast and a fireball.
According to plant management, the second attack targeted the crude oil reservoir of the refinery, the largest supplier of petroleum products in southern Russia, at 9:23 am, but no fire broke out. No injuries have been reported.
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The Russian region bordering Ukraine reported attacks and artillery after Moscow sent its troops to a neighboring country on February 24.
The refinery is located in southwestern Russia, just 8 km (5 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
“Two unmanned aircraft struck a technical facility in Novoshakhtinsk as a result of terrorist acts from the western border of the Rostov region,” the plant’s statement said.
“Staff have been evacuated and technical equipment for assessing damage has been shut down.”
There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian authorities regarding the alleged attack.
Governor Vasily Gorbev of Rostov msaid the oil refinery had shut down. He said two drone debris were found at the refinery.
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The footage posted on social media seemed to show that the drone was flying towards the refinery before the big ball of fire was launched. Al Jazeera could not confirm the authenticity of the video.
The refinery, which started operations in 2009, has an annual production capacity of up to 7.5 million tons.
The Russian Ministry of Energy said the fire did not affect the supply of gasoline and diesel to consumers in southern Russia.
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The alleged attack on the refinery on Wednesday follows a series of explosions and fires in western Russia during the Ukrainian War in Moscow.
Russia is investigating the cause of a large-scale fire that broke out in late April at an oil storage facility in the city of Briansk, 154 km (96 miles) northeast of the Ukrainian border.
Several other explosions and fires struck refineries, oil depots, and ammunition depots. Ukraine is not officially responsible for this case. Some Ukrainian media claim they are the result of a Ukrainian attack.
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A Russian oil refinery near Ukraine states that it was hit by a drone attack
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by News East India staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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