At least two Russian oil refineries and a major petrochemical producer were targeted in overnight Ukrainian drone strikes, according to media reports and government officials Wednesday.
Civil aviation regulator Rosaviatsia said 13 airports across Russia, including three in Moscow, and annexed Crimea were forced to pause operations for security checks.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense forces intercepted 100 Ukrainian drones overnight, nearly half of them over the Bryansk region, and six others over the Moscow region. Five additional drones were downed over annexed Crimea on Wednesday morning.
Bryansk region Governor Alexander Bogomaz reported that the strikes caused damage to nine homes and a Miratorg facility. Miratorg is Russia’s largest meat producer.
Stavropol region Governor Vladimir Vladimirov reported a drone attack on an “industrial zone” in Budyonnovsk, saying the attack “did not cause significant damage.” The independent news outlet Astra said it had identified the target as Lukoil’s Stavrolen petrochemical plant, one of Russia’s largest producers of polyethylene and polypropylene.
Ulyanovsk region Governor Alexei Russkikh confirmed drones in the Novospassky district, where Astra said residents had identified the target as the NS-Oil refinery. Russkikh said emergency crews extinguished a fire at the site of the drone debris around 5 hours after the attack.
Republic of Mari El Governor Yury Zaytsev confirmed drone strikes near an industrial enterprise but did not name the target. Pro-Ukrainian Telegram channels claimed the Mari Oil Refinery was targeted in the attack.
In Crimea, Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov said Ukrainian drones struck a “fuel storage tank,” causing a fire.
Ukrainian media reported that residents witnessed explosions at a local oil depot where military fuel trucks had been seen entering and leaving the previous evening. The reports also claimed that an oil depot belonging to Crimea’s largest network of gas stations, ATAN, was struck in the village of Hvardiiske.
Authorities have not reported any casualties in any of the attacks.
The Moscow Times was unable to independently verify any of these reports.
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