Ukraine drones reportedly hit Russian oil refinery, sparking large fire

Ukraine launched an overnight attack targeting the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region, according to Russian Telegram media channels. Social media platforms were flooded with images and videos purportedly showing a significant fire erupting from the facility, which is identified as one of the largest oil processing plants in southern Russia.

The Afipsky refinery processes approximately 6.25 million tons of crude oil annually, accounting for about 2% of Russia's total refining output. This facility has been a target of previous Ukrainian attacks. Reports indicate that air raid alerts were active in the Russian region during the time of the alleged strike.

While the Kyiv Independent has not yet been able to independently confirm the reports, the Ukrainian military has not officially commented on the incident. The extent of the damage caused by the drone attack remains unclear. Separately, reports of active air defense activity also emerged near the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia's Rostov region, though no damage was immediately reported there.