Source confirms: Ukraine attacks Russian oil refinery in Tuapse

Editor’s note: The article has been updated with comments from a Kyiv Independent source in the Ukrainian Military Intelligence Service (HUR).

An oil refinery in the Russian city of Tuapse on the Black Sea coast caught fire after more than 75 drones attacked several Russian regions on the night of July 22, local authorities said.

The attack on the refinery was carried out by the Ukrainian Military Intelligence Service (HUR), a source in the agency confirmed to the Kyiv Independent later the same day.

Russian Telegram channels claimed that the attack also caused a fire near the Morozovsk air base in Rostov Oblast.

The Kyiv Independent could not confirm the reports.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces intercepted eight drones over Krasnodar Region, 47 drones over Rostov Oblast, one drone each over Belgorod, Voronezh and Smolensk Oblasts, and 17 over the Black and Azov Seas.

The eight drones targeting the Krasnodar region were shot down near Tuapse between 3:17 and 4:20 a.m. local time, said local official Sergey Boyko. There were no casualties or damage.

During a second wave of attacks later in the morning, drone debris fell on the site of the oil refinery in Tuapse, causing damage and a fire that was later extinguished, the official said.

Russian Telegram channels reported that residents of Tuapse reported two series of loud explosions in the morning. The Shot channel shared footage of what appeared to be an attacking drone and a cloud of smoke rising over the target area.

The extent of the damage is currently being determined, the Kyiv Independent source said.

Rosneft’s refinery in Tuapse has been the target of repeated Ukrainian attacks in recent months. Following an earlier strike, the plant was shut down as an emergency measure in May.

According to a Kyiv Independent source, the refinery produces 12 million tons of product per year, about 90 percent of which is intended for export.

Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on the Russian oil industry, successfully reducing the processing capacity of numerous plants.

Astra also claimed that drones had attacked the Morozovsk airbase, causing a fire nearby. Further details on the possible consequences have not been disclosed at this time.

The governor of Rostov Oblast, Vasily Golubev, claimed that the falling debris only caused dry vegetation to catch fire, but that the fire was quickly extinguished.

The Morozovsk air base has also been the target of Ukrainian attacks before. An intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent in April that six fighter jets stationed at the airfield had been destroyed in a Ukrainian attack.

NATO representative tells media: Ukrainian attacks caused Russian oil refineries to shrink by 17 percent

Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian oil refineries have led to a decline in Russian oil refinery volumes of around 17 percent, a NATO representative told journalists in Washington on July 9.