Ukraine deals heavy blow to Russia: drones hit Russia's largest oil refinery

A fire has broken out in one of Russia's largest oil refineries in northwest Russia after a Ukrainian drone attack, Russian authorities reported.

Alexander Drosdenko, the governor of Leningrad Oblast, the region surrounding St. Petersburg, reported on Telegram on Sunday that three drones were shot down in Kirishi, a city 110 kilometers southeast of St. Petersburg. Debris from one of the drones caused the fire, he added. The fire was extinguished, and no one was injured.

Earlier, images of a large fire at the refinery circulated on social media.

Kirishi, located 800 kilometers north of Ukraine, is home to the Kirishinefteorgsintez refinery, also known as Kinef, a subsidiary of the Kremlin-linked Surgutneftegas. The facility processes approximately 20 million tons of oil annually.

In its defense against Russia, Ukraine is focusing on oil facilities to disrupt the Russian military's fuel supply and cut off a key source of war financing.

The Russian state news agency TASS reported Sunday morning that Russian air defense intercepted and destroyed eighty Ukrainian drones overnight over Russia and the Sea of Asov.