By Kyiv Post
Copyright kyivpost
Ukrainian special operations forces struck a major oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov region overnight, setting off explosions and igniting a fire at the site, Ukraine’s General Staff said Tuesday.
The attack on the Saratov Oil Refinery was carried out in coordination with other elements of Ukraine’s defense forces in the early hours of Sept. 16, according to the statement. The scale of the damage was not immediately clear, and assessments are ongoing.
Saratov region lies along the Volga River in southern Russia, hundreds of kilometers from the border with Ukraine, and hosts key industrial and energy infrastructure.
Explosions and a fire were reported near the facility, which processes millions of tons of crude annually and produces more than 20 types of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, bitumen, fuel oil, vacuum gas oil, and sulfur. In 2023, the refinery processed about 4.8 million tons of crude oil, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukrainian military officials said that the refinery is directly involved in supplying the Russian Armed Forces and described the operation as part of ongoing efforts to degrade Moscow’s war economy and limit its capacity to sustain military operations.
“The Defense Forces of Ukraine consistently carry out measures aimed at undermining the military and economic potential of the Russian Federation,” the General Staff said.
There was no immediate comment from Russian officials on the reported strike.
Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that 18 UAVs had been shot down over the Saratov region.
On Monday, Kyiv Post reported that Ukraine’s avowed campaign to destroy all Russian oil production capacity zeroed in on Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg over the weekend. Heavy drone attacks hit an oil refinery, sanctioned oil tankers and the seaport where they were moored, along with a fuel train in a behind-the-lines commando raid.
Starting late on Friday night operators from Ukraine’s 14th Unmanned Aircraft Regiment kicked off one of the most massive swarm air raids of the entire war, over the next four hours launching 220-230 long-range drones at targets across Russia.
Approximately 30 kamikaze drones headed for Russia’s northwestern Leningrad region, and shortly after midnight dived one after the other on the Primorsk oil-pumping station.
In past strikes beyond 800 kilometers (500 miles), Ukraine has most often used the UJ-22 Liutyi drone – a precision guided, propeller driven aircraft with a 75-kilogram (165-pound) warhead. The type of drone used in this attack was not made public.
