ISTANBUL
An overnight Ukrainian drone strike sparked a fire in an oil refinery in Russia’s northwestern Leningrad region, officials said Sunday.
Leningrad Governor Alexander Drozdenko said on Telegram that debris from three downed Ukrainian drones caused a fire at the Kirishi oil refinery, operated by Russian oil and gas company Surgutneftegas.
Drozdenko said the fire had been extinguished and there were no casualties.
In a later statement, the Defense Ministry claimed to have downed 80 Ukrainian drones overnight, including two over Leningrad.
Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff in a statement confirmed targeting the refinery overnight, saying there were explosions and a fire at the facility.
“This facility produces about 80 types of petroleum products, including automotive gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, etc., and is used to meet the needs of the Russian Armed Forces,” the statement said, terming the refinery as “one of the largest” in Russia.
It added that the aim of the strike was to weaken Russia’s ability to provide its troops with fuel, weapons and ammunition.