Ukrainian drone strike paralyzes major Russian oil refinery in Volgograd
The LUKOIL-Volgogradneftepererabotka oil refinery is reportedly paralyzed for an extended period following a drone strike overnight, which destroyed essential equipment, reported the Russian Telegram Kremlyovskaya Tabakerka.
"One of the drones hit a large storage tank for petroleum products, causing a massive fire that took several hours to extinguish. Unfortunately, a second unmanned aerial vehicle also reached the oil depot, damaging the pump station. Our sources note that the functioning of the oil base will be paralyzed for some time," the Russian news outlet reported.
It is estimated that the Russian refinery's operations could be halted for several weeks or even longer.
The channel also claims that as a result of the attack, two refinery employees are missing. According to the official version, there were no casualties.
It was also noted that the shutdown of the plant could cause issues for the Russian army.
"This is creating problems for our army, as LUKOIL's Volgograd oil depot was used to supply fuel to our military in the special military operation zone and beyond," stated the channel.
Despite reports from Russian authorities and the Ministry of Defence claiming a supposed successful interception of Ukrainian drones over Volgograd, the drones evidently made it to the refinery.
The Russian Ministry of Defence has reported drone attacks across three regions. The ministry claims Russian military forces shot down four drones in the Belgorod region, two in the Volgograd region, and another one in the Rostov region.
Volgograd region's Governor Andrey Bocharov stated that a fire broke out at the LUKOIL Volgograd Refinery as a result of "the aftermath of a downed drone."
The news website "Volgograd Online" reports that the fire covered an area of 300 square meters and has been extinguished. According to Bocharov, there were no casualties.
Additionally, on the evening of February 2nd, the Governor of Voronezh region, Alexander Gusev, reported that another Ukrainian drone was shot down on its approach to Voronezh. The Russian Ministry of Defence did not report on this attack.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has been systematically targeting Russian fuel facilities. A number of major oil depots and refineries in Ust-Luga, Tuapse, Yaroslavl, and other locations have suffered serious damage from these attacks.