An overnight Ukrainian drone strike sparked a fire at an oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region, local authorities said early Thursday.
The regional crisis center reported that a blaze broke out at the Afipsky refinery, located just south of the regional capital, after falling drone debris ignited a gas condensate processing unit. Emergency crews extinguished the fire by 8:21 a.m. local time.
Despite official warnings against filming the scene, eyewitness videos circulated on Telegram showing flames and thick black smoke rising from what was said to be the Afipsky refinery.
The Telegram news channel Astra reported that drones also struck a military site in the nearby town of Slavyansk-na-Kubani, citing local residents and emergency alerts.
Ukraine has targeted the Afipsky refinery multiple times since Russia’s 2022 invasion, most recently in February. The facility processes about 6 million metric tons of crude oil annually. Energy infrastructure remains a key target for both sides as they seek to weaken each other’s wartime capabilities.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down 82 Ukrainian drones overnight, including nine over the Krasnodar region.
Authorities said at least four people were wounded in drone attacks in the Krasnodar and Belgorod regions.
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