Camilla Jessen
Ukraine’s drones strike Russia’s largest Rosneft refinery for the third time.
Ukrainian drones have once again attacked the Ryazan Oil Refinery, one of Russia’s largest fuel production facilities.
Regional authorities confirmed on February 24 that this is the third strike in a month.
A fire broke out at the refinery following a series of loud explosions, according to reports from Russian media outlets Mash and Shot. Pavel Malkov, the governor of the Ryazan region, stated that emergency services were on-site assessing damage but claimed there were no casualties.
The Ryazan Oil Refinery, owned by Rosneft, has a capacity of 13.7 million tons of oil per year and produces fuel used by the Russian military. It accounts for 5% of Russia’s total oil refining capacity, making it a strategic target for Ukrainian forces.
The refinery was first attacked on January 24, when drones hit a fuel loading ramp, sparking a fire that engulfed a 20,000-ton storage tank and forced Rosneft to suspend shipments.
A second attack followed just two days later, on January 26.
Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council official Andriy Kovalenko previously stated that the facility was targeted because it supplies fuel for Russian military equipment.
Russia’s Unusual “Defense” Against Drones
In a bizarre attempt to protect the city of Ryazan from further Ukrainian drone strikes, Russian authorities organized an “air procession” in February. During the event, a plane carrying Orthodox priests, religious relics, and icons flew over the city while clergy conducted prayer services for divine protection against air attacks.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that air defenses intercepted and destroyed 22 drones overnight, including 16 drones over Oryol region, 3 over Bryansk region, 2 over Ryazan region, and 1 over occupied Crimea.