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Refinery in the Samara region (in 2022): major supplier of jet fuel
Photo: Yegor Aleyev / ITAR-TASS / IMAGO
According to authorities, another oil refinery caught fire in the Russian region of Samara on the Volga due to a Ukrainian drone attack. The state news agency Tass reported this on Saturday, citing Governor Dmitry Azarov.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Telegram that a total of twelve drones had been destroyed over the Bryansk (five), Belgorod (five), Voronezh (one) and Saratov (one) regions. In addition, eleven rockets were destroyed over the Belgorod border region. Bryansk Region Governor Alexander Bogomas said on his Telegram channel that there were no injuries or damage as a result of debris.
The USA allegedly fears rising oil prices
According to authorities, two oil refineries in Samara were attacked with drones. There were no injuries, said Governor Azarov. The facility in the city of Novokuybyshevsk was not damaged. The fire at the other refinery in Kuibyshev was extinguished. On Friday, the Financial Times reported that the USA wanted to stop Ukraine from carrying out attacks on Russian oil facilities. The background is the fear of an escalation and rising oil prices worldwide before the US presidential election.
In recent weeks, the Ukrainian secret services have systematically bombarded Russian oil refineries with combat drones far behind the front, for example in Ryazan, Kstovo near Nizhny Novgorod and in Krasnodar. However, Ukraine made it clear that it would not allow itself to be influenced into these attacks. They are intended to disrupt supplies for the Russian military.
Drones against bombers
Russia has already shot down drones several times in the Saratov region, where the Engels-2 military airfield is located. The Russian military has stationed strategic bombers there that are used for missile attacks on Ukraine.
It was initially not possible to independently verify whether all drones could actually be fended off on approach. The Russian side, which has been waging a war of aggression against its neighboring country for more than two years now, often only reports supposed successes of its own air defense in the case of Ukrainian drone attacks.
In its defense against the Russian invasion, Ukraine repeatedly shells Russian territory - both in the border region and in the hinterland. However, the number of victims and damage are disproportionate to the serious consequences of the war in Ukraine.
mak/dpa