Russia burning as fireballs erupt after massive Ukrainian attack | World | News
Ukraine launched massive drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure overnight, causing extensive damage. Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Putin’s fuel economy over the autumn and into the winter, as it seeks to cripple the Kremlin’s war machine.
Putin relies heavily on energy exports to help fund his brutal war in Ukraine, prompting Kyiv to target oil and gas depots on an almost daily basis. Research shows that Ukraine has struck more than 50 fuel and military-industrial sites over the last few months, marking an unprecedented rate off successful attacks. In the latest aerial blitz, drones hit Russia‘s Temryuk seaport in Krasnodar Krai and the Syzran Oil Refinery in the Samara region.
A major fire broke out at the Temyruk port after a drone broke through air defences and slammed into the facility.
Local residents reported hearing huge explosions and said that fuel tanks in the port were ablaze.
Video images show a massive ball of flames erupting from the port, lighting up the darkness.
Regional authorities confirmed the facility had been struck, but refused to give any details.
They claimed that all personnel had been evacuated and that there no reports of any casualties.
The port is a key Russian facility in the Sea of Azov, operating an oil export terminal, which receives, stores, and ships petroleum products. It also houses a large liquefied petroleum gas facility.
Explosions were also heard at the local refinery in the city of Syzran, located in the Samara region.
The mayor Sergey Volodchenkov said the city was under drone attack, without providing any specifics. However, video images shared to social media by local residents show the a massive fire burning at the oil facility.
The Syzran Oil Refinery is situated around 700 kilometres (430 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border. Opened in 1942 during World War 2, it belongs to the state-owned oil company Rosneft and can processes up to of 8.5 million tonnes a year.
