Extract from ABC News
Ukrainian drone strikes hit oil infrastructure across Russia this week, sparking huge fires. (Reuters: Governor of Krasnodar Region Veniamin Kondratyev)
In short:
Ukrainian drone strikes have hit three Russian oil refineries over the past week, sparking huge fires and sending plumes of black smoke into the air.
The strikes on refineries in the Perm and Orenburg regions demonstrate the ability of Ukraine to target energy infrastructure far behind enemy lines.
What's next?
A local state of emergency has been declared in the coastal city of Tuapse as residents describe witnessing the river combusting from the refinery fire's runoff.
Ukraine's Security Service, the SBU, say its drones have struck an oil refinery deep inside Russia near the city of Perm, marking the latest in a series of attacks on oil facilities behind the front lines as Kyiv seeks to curb Moscow's energy revenues used to fund the war.
The Ukrainian military also reported it had hit another refinery in southern Russia's Orenburg region.
The Lukoil-owned refinery in Perm, located more than 1,500 kilometres from Ukraine, is one of the largest in Russia and has the capacity of nearly 13 million metric tonnes per year, according to the SBU.
A satellite image shows smoke rising following a Ukrainian drone attack on an oil pumping station amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Bashkultaevo, Perm Region. (Reuters: Planet Labs BBC)
Lukoil did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to preliminary information from the SBU, the strike hit a key facility for primary oil processing at the refinery, effectively putting the unit out of action.
Thick smoke rises from an oil facility in Russia after Ukraine strikes.
It also struck an oil pumping station in the area, which supplied the refinery.
The strike in Orenburg, reported by the Ukraine military's general staff, hit a refinery in the city of Orsk, triggering a fire.
Orenburg region is also about 1,500km from Ukraine.
"The Orsknefteorgsintez oil refinery [Orsk in Orenburg region] was hit," the general staff said in a statement on Facebook.
"A strike was recorded, followed by a fire on the territory of the enterprise. The facility is involved in supplying the Russian occupation army."
Closer to the front lines and on the shores of the Black Sea, the oil refinery in Tuapse has come under repeated attacks in recent weeks, with the latest drone strike sparking a massive fire.
Tuapse is a key transport and export hub on the coast of the Black Sea near the resource rich Caucus region. (Reuters: Planet Labs BBC)
Plumes of black smoke towered over the coastal town and residents wore face masks to shield themselves from polluted air.
Ukrainian drones have hit Tuapse's sprawling oil facilities three times over the past two weeks, most recently early this week, triggering a local state of emergency.
Just hours later, another drone strike hit the sea terminal, sparking another fire, according to the local government.
"The water in the river was on fire," Vladimir, a 63-year-old pensionersaid.
As the wind gusted, toxic fumes and the smell of burnt oil spread through the city, and the roads and pavements were covered with a sticky film.
Krasnodar regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev (second from right) inspects the aftermath of the drone attack on the oil refinery and terminal in Tuapse. (AP: Governor of Krasnodar Region Veniamin Kondratyev)
Residents were told to stay indoors, and schools closed in the town of some 60,000 people.
Officials said on Wednesday that the level of benzene, a toxic carcinogen found in petrol, in the air was elevated.
"Look, look at that," Yevgenia, a pensioner with a shopping bag and wearing a face mask, said, pointing at a layer of black dust and soot on a car nearby.
"It's impossible to clean it all up quickly. They bombed us three times in a month,"she said.
Vladimir and Yevgenia did not provide their full names for security reasons.
Contaminated soil
The burning oil terminal is located right next to the city centre, close to pedestrian areas and the road to the resort city of Sochi, a favoured summer escape for the Russian elite, including President Vladimir Putin.
Residents in Tuapse described environmental devastation from the fires, including elevated toxins in the air. (Reuters: Governor of Krasnodar Region Veniamin Kondratyev)
President Putin lashed out at Kyiv, accusing the Ukrainian authorities of resorting to "overt terrorist methods" and intensifying drone strikes "against civilian infrastructure".
"The latest example is the strikes on energy facilities in Tuapse, which could potentially cause serious environmental consequences,"President Putin said.
Kyiv said it only targeted energy and military sites designed to hobble Russia's war machine.
Local officials said three people had been killed, including a 14-year-old girl, in the series of Ukrainian attacks on Tuapse this month.
Around 600 people were working "around the clock" to mitigate the consequences of the strikes, including an environmental clean-up operation, a regional crisis task force said on Telegram.
Ukrainian energy infrastructure has repeatedly been targeted by Russian drone strikes during the war. (Reuters: Serhii Korovainyi)
It said: "Nearly 10,000 cubic metres of oil-contaminated soil and water-oil mixture have been collected from the shore and in the Tuapse River."
For Tuapse residents, the strikes brought the consequences of Russia's four-year offensive on Ukraine home.
Machine gun turrets have been deployed by private companies like Carmine Sky to shoot down Russian drones. (Reuters: Sofiia Gatilova)
"I've already lived through one war," one resident said, referring to Russia's wars in Chechnya, a few hundred kilometres across the Caucasus mountains, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
"Now here's another one."
Ukraine has intensified its attacks in Russia, aiming to disrupt Russia's oil industry and slash revenue that helps Moscow fund the war in Ukraine, as global prices rose amid the Iran war and sanctions were eased on Moscow.
Russia has for months attacked targets linked to Ukraine's energy system, knocking out power and heating to many thousands of people in cities during the winter months.
Reuters/AFP
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