Ukrainian intelligence said that Ukrainian-made drones inflicted significant damage on a military target in Tatarstan on Tuesday. A Ukrainian intelligence source says there was a fire at the refinery, and that there will be new attacks to reduce Russia’s oil revenues.
Images from the scene analyzed by the Reuters news agency indicate that the drone hit the main refining unit, CDU-7, at the Taneco refinery, which accounts for around half of the refinery’s capacity.
The attack was one of several in the heavily industrialized Tatarstan area on Tuesday morning.
The source and Ukrainian Pravda report that drones also hit a large facility where the long-range Iranian Shahed drones are manufactured under license, and that significant damage was done.
Watch video of the attack here:
Denies injury
Later, Russian officials claimed that the air defense had foiled a drone attack on Tatneft’s Taneco refinery in Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan, 1,300 kilometers from Ukraine, and that the refinery was operating as normal after a minor fire was extinguished.
The article continues below the adThe article continues below the ad
– The attack was neutralized by the electronic air defense system. There were no injuries and no major material damage, says Ramil Mullin, who is mayor of the city.
However, there were several injured after drone strikes elsewhere in the area, it says.
Ukraine has recently begun to attack Russian oil refineries in order to hit Russia’s lucrative trade in refined oil products. According to Reuters’ calculations, 14 percent of Russia’s refining capacity has been put out of action.
The article continues below the adThe article continues below the ad
Monday’s attack is one of the most far-reaching that Ukraine has carried out so far in the war, deep into Russian territory. Nizhnekamsk is 1,050 kilometers east of Moscow.
Third largest
The Taneco refinery is the third largest and one of the newest in Russia, with a capacity of 360,000 barrels per day. The affected unit produces up to 155,000 barrels of refined oil per day.
The article continues below the ad
In the US, there is concern that Ukraine’s attack on oil refineries deep in Russian territory could lead to an escalation of the Western conflict with Russia.
But Ukraine justifies the attacks by saying that it is fighting for survival, and that it has been hit by extensive destruction from Russian attacks on its own infrastructure, including power plants.
