Russian refinery claims it was struck by drones in possible attack

Two drones hit a major Russian oil refinery near the Ukrainian border on Wednesday, suspending the plant’s production and sending a ball of flame and smoke into the air, the plant said. 

Videos shared on social media show the unmanned vehicles crashing into the refinery and the aftermath of the crash.

The first drone struck the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in Russia’s Rostov region at around 8:40 a.m. local time. It hit a crude distillation unit and triggered a blast and a ball of fire. 

The second strike happened around 9:23 a.m. It was aimed at the crude oil reservoirs at the refinery, but the impact caused no fire.

Attempts to extinguish the fire caused by an explosion 💥 from a drone impact at an oil refinery in Rostov, Russia. pic.twitter.com/Em4THSLk1B

— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) June 22, 2022

The drone came from the direction of Ukraine, prompting Russian officials to believe it was a planned attack.

"As a result of terrorist actions from the Western border of the Rostov region, two unmanned aerial vehicles struck at the technological facilities of Novoshakhtinsk," the plant said.

"Staff have been evacuated and technological equipment has been stopped to assess the damage," it added.

Novoshakhtinsk is located just 5 miles from the border with Ukraine and is the largest supplier of oil products in southern Russia. Operating since 2009, the refinery has an annual capacity of 7.5 million tons. 

The refinery’s operations were suspended after the attack, according to Rostov’s Regional Governor Vasily Golubev. He added that fragments of the two drones were found and would be examined.

Russia’s energy ministry said that the fire caused by the strike did not affect the gasoline and diesel supplies for southern Russia.