More and more Russian oil facilities are going up in flames

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• Ukrainian drone attacks set fire to oil refineries across Russia.
• The oil facilities in the southern Russian port city of Tuapse are currently being hit particularly hard.
• After four attacks in just two weeks, there are ongoing fires and severe environmental damage.

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Four years ago, Kremlin leader Putin started the war against Ukraine. While this war was initially distant for the Russians, it is now penetrating deep into their consciousness through ever new drone attacks. Kiev is increasingly targeting the Russian oil industry.

Ukrainian drones are targeting oil facilities deep in the country's interior, on the Baltic Sea and on the Black Sea. A few days ago, an attack was carried out on an oil pumping station near the Russian city of Perm. It is located in the Perm region in the Ural Mountains, more than 1500 kilometers from Ukraine. Russian media also reported on the attack. A drone attack also hit a refinery in the southern Russian region of Orenburg.

In the Leningrad region, which borders St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad), the Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga were the target of several Ukrainian attacks a few weeks ago. Satellite images and videos on social media show oil tanks in flames and heavy clouds of smoke over the areas hit.

The large Kirishi refinery on the outskirts of St. Petersburg was also attacked with combat drones two months ago. According to industry figures, Kirishi is the second largest refinery in Russia and can process 20 million tons of oil a year.

Tuapse in focus for weeks

Five of the six most important oil ports on the Baltic and Black Seas have now been hit, as the latest satellite images show. The Russian port city of Tuapse on the Black Sea is currently being hit particularly hard, with the oil facilities being targeted by Ukrainian long-range drones for the fourth time in two weeks. In the first two attacks on the facilities of the state oil company Rosnef, 24 oil tanks were destroyed and four more damaged.

According to the state news agency Tass, the crisis management team of the southern Russian region of Krasnodar reported that there were no fatalities or injuries in the renewed attacks on the night of May 1. According to the report, more than 100 firefighters are working to extinguish the fire. The Tuapse refinery has since ceased operations.

After the Ukrainian drone attack on the petroleum complex in the southern Russian port city of Tuapse on April 21, thick smoke is forming over the city.

Archivbild: IMAGO/SNA

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported the launch of a total of 141 Ukrainian drones over its own territory. Once again, however, the air defenses proved powerless against the strikes in Tuapse.

It's raining black clumps

The previous attacks had already caused severe damage. Most of the reservoirs have now been burnt out, and the infrastructure for transferring the oil to ships has also been damaged. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin recently complained in a meeting that such attacks are potentially dangerous for the environment, but insisted that the authorities have the situation under control and that there is no danger. However, even according to official figures, the pollution levels in the air have been greatly exaggerated and some of the oil has leaked into the sea.

The series of attacks on April 16 and April 20 led to uncontrollable fires. Several tanks went up in flames in renewed drone attacks before the fires from the previous attacks could even be extinguished. Most recently, it was not possible to extinguish a fire for several days. Authorities called on people to avoid spending time outdoors, keep windows closed and wipe down surfaces.

Even according to official figures, the limits for benzene, xylene and soot in the air were exceeded by a factor of two to three. When it rained, the oil particles in the air settled in black, greasy stains that soiled houses and cars - people and animals also suffered.

The attacks on the Russian Black Sea port of Tuapse have caused oil spills off the coast.

Archivbild: IMAGO/SNA

Ukraine is repeatedly targeting Russian energy facilities in its defensive campaign against the war of aggression that has been going on for more than four years. Kiev's aim is to minimize Moscow's income from the sale of oil and gas in this way. Russia finances its war economy with the proceeds from energy exports. At the beginning of the month, Moscow imposed a new ban on petrol exports until the end of July in order to keep prices stable in view of the tense situation on the energy markets.

Selenskyj: Drone attacks cost Russia billions of euros

According to President Volodymyr Selensky, the Ukrainian drone attacks have caused the Russian oil industry the equivalent of at least six billion euros in damage since the beginning of the year. "Through strikes, standstills and delays in deliveries," Selenskyj listed on Telegram. The attacks reached a new level in April, he wrote.

Zelenskyi spoke of the six billion euros that Russia's oil industry has lost since the beginning of the year as a result of drone attacks.

Archivbild: dpa

Not only are drones now flying further than ever before, but the intensity of the attacks is also at a record level. This in turn is leading to the sharpest decline in Russian profits from the oil industry since the start of the war, Selensky is convinced.