Drone attack causes fire at Saratov refinery in Russia
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On the night of November 8, residents of Saratov in the Russian Federation reported a drone attack, which resulted in a fire at a nearby oil refinery.
Rubryka reports this with reference to the Astra Telegram channel.
The governor of the Saratov region said that a drone was allegedly destroyed over the region at night.
According to him, debris fell in the industrial zone of Zavodsky district.
Video footage of the fire at the Saratov refinery has been shared online. According to residents, it appears to have started from a factory flare. However, the footage clearly shows that the fire originated to the right of the ignition.
The Saratov Oil Refinery, commonly referred to as the "Cracking" plant, is a division of Rosneft. According to the governor, the plant is situated in the Zavodsky district of Saratov, where the debris fell.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation declares that the Russian Air Defense Forces allegedly destroyed 17 drones at night, including:
- six – over the Voronezh region,
- six – over the Saratov region,
- 4 – over the Belgorod region,
- one above the Bryansk region.
It is essential to mention that Ukrainian soldiers have carried out numerous operations targeting Russian oil refineries and storage facilities. These attacks are aimed at disrupting support for the Russian army and cutting off their access to fuel.
As stated by the Foreign Intelligence Service, three refineries in Russia have halted operations to some degree. This was due to unfinished repairs, which the Russians could not finish in October due to sanctions.
For reference:
Ukrainian defenders conducted numerous operations targeting refineries and oil depots within Russian territory and in Ukraine's occupied areas. The defense forces actively seek targets that supply fuel to the occupying forces.
For instance, on October 4, an oil depot in the Voronezh region (Russia) was targeted by a kamikaze drone and subsequently caught fire. A fire was also put out at a petroleum product storage facility in the Perm region of Russia.
On the night of September 1, an oil refinery was attacked in Moscow. According to the mayor of Moscow, the drone attack caused a fire in the "separate technical premises" of the enterprise.
After the strike, the Moscow Oil Refinery suspended oil distillation.
Furthermore, on the evening of September 27, the Russian government reported an incident involving drones and a fire in a field near Novoshakhtynsk caused by falling debris. According to Russian media, the remains of the unmanned aerial vehicle landed close to a power line.
