A large fire broke out at the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai overnight on February 17, following what Russian officials called a "massive" Ukrainian drone attack on the region.
Videos circulating on social media show a massive blaze at the refinery, located in Seversky district, as residents report hearing explosions around 1:30 AM local time.
Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev acknowledged that Ukrainian drones had targeted multiple areas, damaging 12 homes and injuring one woman — but he made no mention of the attack on the refinery.
Emergency crews are currently battling the fire, but there is no official word on casualties or the extent of the damage.
According to The Kyiv Independent, Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil facilities, viewing them as legitimate military targets since fossil fuel exports help fund Moscow’s war effort.
The attack on Ilsky comes just days after Ukrainian drones struck the Afipsky oil refinery, another key energy facility in Krasnodar Krai that processes 6.25 million tons of oil annually.
Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure have become a major headache for the Kremlin, disrupting fuel production and forcing Moscow to divert resources toward air defense.
