Ukraine launched a series of devastating drone strikes overnight on Sunday, that targeted several Russian oil and fuel facilities, causing substantial damage.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s army has unleashed an intense aerial bombardment of Russia over the last few weeks, as it attempts to disrupt the Kremlin’s logistical supply lines for its army.
Drones and missile attacks have repeatedly targeted oil refineries, as well as sites belonging to the military-industrial complex.
In the latest deadly strikes, Ukrainian drones zeroed in on a gas processing plant belonging to Gazprom near Astrakhan.
“The entire plant was evacuated, a drone flew to the plant,” an eyewitness told the Astra Telegram Channel.
Video images of the attack show a huge fire engulfing the plant, with giant balls of flames leaping into the night’s sky.
Governor Igor Babushkin confirmed the attack on “facilities of the fuel and energy complex” and the resulting fire.
Andrey Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Centre for Discounting Disinformation, said he site was a key target.
“This is one of the key energy facilities of the Russian Federation, providing for the processing of gas condensate and the production of gasoline, diesel fuel and more,” he said.
“The plant affects the military-industrial complex of Russia, since the fuel and energy sector is the main source of financing for the defence sector.”
Drones also attacked an oil refinery in the Volgograd region, with local residents reporting a series of explosions.
Andrey Bocharov, the regions Governor, said falling debris caused “local fires on the territory of the oil refinery”, without specifying which one.
Power outrages in several areas of the region were reported in the wake of the drone attack.
According to the Telegram channel Baza, the UAV’s target was a plant near Volgograd owned by Lukoil.
The Lukoil refinery is one of the ten largest in Russia in terms of design capacity and was attacked as recently as January 31st.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed its air defence systems had successfully repelled an attack by 70 drones across multiple regions.