Ukraine strikes Russia's Saratov oil refinery, military confirms
Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Ukrainian forces struck Russia’s Saratov oil refinery in a strike overnight on Feb. 11, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said after reports of drone attacks in the region.
“The refinery mainly produces gasoline, fuel oil, and diesel fuel. In total, more than 20 types of oil products (are being produced there),” the General Staff said, adding that the facility supplies Russian occupation forces in Ukraine.
This comes as a confirmation of earlier reports of a drone attack against the oil refinery lying some 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from Ukraine’s border.
The attack was carried out jointly by the Unmanned Systems Forces, the military intelligence agency (HUR), and the Special Operations Forces, as well as other units, according to the statement.
The Ukrainian military reported a confirmed hit and a fire at the facility. The full extent of damage is being determined.
“The Saratov Oil Refinery is one of the key facilities in Russia’s fuel infrastructure. Its refining capacity reaches 7 million tons of oil annually,” said Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, adding that the refinery is crucial in supplying fuel to the Russian military.
The news comes as Ukraine is ramping up long-range drone strikes against Russian targets in the rear, focusing on oil facilities crucial for supplying the Russian military and feeding Moscow’s war chest.
Saratov Oblast Governor Roman Busargin confirmed that drones struck an industrial facility in the region but did not specify whether it was the oil refinery.
The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek