Russian oil refinery in Tuapse stops operation because of Ukrainian drone attack – Reuters
The Tuapse oil refinery, which belongs to Rosneft, a major Russian oil and gas company, has stopped refining oil and producing petroleum products due to the attack by Ukrainian drones on 25 January.
Source: Reuters with reference to its sources in the industry
Details: The Tuapse refinery is the only one on the Black Sea coast of Russia, one of the ten largest in the country and processes up to nine million tonnes of raw materials annually.
Reuters’ sources noted that the refinery was stopped after a fire broke out on 25 January because of a Ukrainian drone strike.
The drone attack, which also made the Russian authorities close the Sochi airport and issue air-raid warnings in their settlements, burned down a vacuum unit.
Reuters said that the plant would not be able to resume production quickly: repairs are expected to last until late February or early March.
Rosneft did not comment on it.
A Ukrainian source said that the Security Service of Ukraine had struck the refinery with drones and would continue to attack facilities that supply fuel for Russia's almost two-year full-scale war against Ukraine.
"The SBU (the Security Service of Ukraine - ed.) strikes deep into the Russian Federation and continues attacks on facilities which are not only important for the Russian economy, but also provide fuel for the enemy troops," the source said.
Unofficial Telegram channels posted photos of the fire and also said that it was all caused by the drone attack.
The strike was at least the fourth in the past week to target Russia's energy infrastructure, including an attack on a fuel export terminal in the Baltic Sea and a refinery in the port of Ust-Luga that transports oil products.
Background:
- Russia's Novatek plant on the Baltic Sea coast suspended operations following an attack by Ukrainian drones.
- The attack on the night of 20-21 January on the sea terminal in Russia's Ust-Luga, Leningrad Oblast, was a special operation by the Security Service of Ukraine.
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