Ukrainian Drone Strike Targets Russian Oil Refinery in Kstovo
Ukraine hits second Russian oil facility in a week as part of larger drone offensive
Ukrainian forces have successfully launched a drone strike on a Lukoil oil refinery in Kstovo, a town approximately 800 kilometers from the front lines in eastern Ukraine.
The attack involved four drones targeting the Lukoil depot, causing significant damage.
Videos posted on social media showed large flames rising from the industrial facility.
No casualties have been reported, according to regional governor Gleb Nikitin, although drone debris was found scattered over the surrounding industrial zone.
In a separate incident, the governor of Smolensk, Vasily Anokhin, reported a 'massive' drone attack on civilian infrastructure in his region.
No casualties were immediately reported, but one of the drones was allegedly shot down while attempting to strike a nuclear power facility, though this has not been independently verified.
The Kstovo strike was part of a broader Ukrainian drone offensive that also targeted Smolensk and Belgorod.
The Belgorod region, which has been frequently attacked since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, saw a mother and toddler killed, with another child and their father injured.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Belgorod, confirmed the fatalities.
These attacks occurred during a larger overnight operation in which Russia claimed to have intercepted over 100 Ukrainian drones.
This also led to the temporary suspension of flights at airports in St. Petersburg and Kazan.
The drone offensives mark one of Ukraine’s largest such operations to date.
Ukraine's drone strikes on Russia's oil infrastructure follow a similar attack on a refinery earlier in the week.
Additionally, Ukraine's forces targeted Moscow with a wave of at least 121 drones.
In response, Russian forces launched their own airstrike campaign, prompting air alerts in various Ukrainian regions.
The Ukrainian military reported shooting down 29 Russian drones across nine regions.
As the conflict enters its third year, Russia continues to make incremental advances in the east of Ukraine, closing in on the strategically significant city of Pokrovsk.
Despite these advances, Ukrainian forces have maintained control over several hundred square kilometers of territory in Russia's western Kursk region, which they had retaken in a lightning offensive last August.
The attack involved four drones targeting the Lukoil depot, causing significant damage.
Videos posted on social media showed large flames rising from the industrial facility.
No casualties have been reported, according to regional governor Gleb Nikitin, although drone debris was found scattered over the surrounding industrial zone.
In a separate incident, the governor of Smolensk, Vasily Anokhin, reported a 'massive' drone attack on civilian infrastructure in his region.
No casualties were immediately reported, but one of the drones was allegedly shot down while attempting to strike a nuclear power facility, though this has not been independently verified.
The Kstovo strike was part of a broader Ukrainian drone offensive that also targeted Smolensk and Belgorod.
The Belgorod region, which has been frequently attacked since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, saw a mother and toddler killed, with another child and their father injured.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Belgorod, confirmed the fatalities.
These attacks occurred during a larger overnight operation in which Russia claimed to have intercepted over 100 Ukrainian drones.
This also led to the temporary suspension of flights at airports in St. Petersburg and Kazan.
The drone offensives mark one of Ukraine’s largest such operations to date.
Ukraine's drone strikes on Russia's oil infrastructure follow a similar attack on a refinery earlier in the week.
Additionally, Ukraine's forces targeted Moscow with a wave of at least 121 drones.
In response, Russian forces launched their own airstrike campaign, prompting air alerts in various Ukrainian regions.
The Ukrainian military reported shooting down 29 Russian drones across nine regions.
As the conflict enters its third year, Russia continues to make incremental advances in the east of Ukraine, closing in on the strategically significant city of Pokrovsk.
Despite these advances, Ukrainian forces have maintained control over several hundred square kilometers of territory in Russia's western Kursk region, which they had retaken in a lightning offensive last August.
