Moscow, November 9 (ANI): Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s second-largest oil refinery in Kirishi, in the Leningrad region, during an overnight attack, triggering large explosions and fires at the facility. Meanwhile, Moscow claimed that its air defense systems had shot down 81 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the region, Russian news agency TASS reported.
The attack reportedly targeted the Kirishi Petroleum Organic Synthesis plant, also known as the Kinef refinery, located approximately 800 kilometers north of Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent reported, citing Ukrainian monitoring channels Exilenova+ and Supernova+, that the strikes caused large explosions at the oil facility.
NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), which uses satellite data to detect thermal anomalies and fires, also registered multiple hotspots at the facility, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said Russian air defense systems had intercepted 81 Ukrainian drones over the region, adding that the operation was still underway, TASS reported.
“As many as 81 enemy UAVs have been downed over the Leningrad Region. The air defense operation is ongoing,” Drozdenko was quoted as saying.
He also confirmed that drone strikes had hit the industrial zone in Kirishi. A family was evacuated after debris from a drone struck an apartment building in the town, the governor added.
The Kinef refinery has an annual processing capacity of approximately 20 million metric tons of oil and accounts for more than 6% of Russia’s total refined oil output. It produces a range of petroleum products, including fuel used by the country’s armed forces, and is subject to Western sanctions, including measures imposed by the United States.
The refinery has previously been targeted by Ukrainian forces. On May 5, it temporarily suspended processing after drone strikes damaged three of its four crude distillation units. Ukrainian drones also reportedly targeted the facility on August 30.
The latest attack comes amid renewed Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. According to The Kyiv Independent, senior Ukrainian officials have said that Kyiv never formally agreed to a temporary halt in attacks on Russian oil refineries, despite US President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure an energy ceasefire.
The strikes also come as Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, triggering widespread power outages and disruptions to water supplies. On November 3, Russian forces launched an overnight assault involving 289 attack drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The developments come ahead of US-mediated working-level negotiations between Russia and Ukraine scheduled for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi, as Washington continues efforts to advance a possible peace agreement. (ANI)
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