Ukrainian drone strikes hit Russian oil refineries, killing two and forcing shutdown

Ukrainian drone strikes on two oil refineries in southern Russia have killed at least two people and forced one facility to suspend operations, regional officials said, in the latest intensification of Kyiv's campaign against Russian energy infrastructure. In the Krasnodar region, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev wrote on Telegram that falling drone debris killed two people and injured two others during an attack on the Afipsky refinery, which sparked a fire at the facility. Authorities in the neighbouring Rostov region said the Novoshakhtinsky refinery sustained damage and temporarily suspended processing operations following a separate strike, without providing further details.

Both refineries have been targeted in previous drone attacks. Ukraine began intensifying its strikes against Russian oil facilities earlier this year, a campaign that has driven widespread fuel shortages across Russia this summer. The latest attacks follow an assault on the Perm oil refinery on August 21, which was forced to suspend operations after drone impacts ignited fires and damaged key technical processing units, according to industry sources cited by Reuters.

The strikes represent a continued Ukrainian effort to disrupt Russia's energy supply chains and military logistics, striking deep behind Russian lines. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organisation, criminalising its work and putting its staff at risk of prosecution. The authorities claim the outlet's work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership," while the publication states it strives to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.