‘Drone Visits Will Continue’ – Explosions, Fires Rock Russian Oil Infrastructure

Kyiv Post sources in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported successful “drone sanctions” – as it sardonically referred to its drones strikes – against two key Russian enterprises supporting the Russian military-industrial complex—the Ilsky Oil Refinery and the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station.

At least 20 explosions were heard near the Ilsky refinery Sunday night, followed by a fire, confirmed by local authorities.

According to the SBU, this facility includes six technological units with a total processing capacity of 6.6 million tons of oil per year. In February last year, SBU drones had previously targeted this refinery, damaging a primary oil processing unit worth $50 million.

The Ilsky Oil Refinery is located approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Krasnodar and over 360 kilometers (224 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The second successful target of Ukrainian drones was the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station, the largest facility of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium on Russian territory. As a result of the attack, the station was shut down and taken out of operation. Currently, oil is being rerouted around this station, according to Kyiv Post’s intelligence sources.

“Russian oil refineries and pumping stations are entirely legitimate targets. They not only support Russia’s military by supplying fuel to enemy forces but also play a crucial role in financing the war through oil profits. Therefore, drone visits to these facilities will continue,” the SBU source stated.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defense claims to have intercepted and destroyed 90 UAVs overnight:

• 38 UAVs over the Azov Sea
• 24 UAVs over Krasnodar Krai
• 15 UAVs over Crimea
• 7 UAVs over the Black Sea
• 2 UAVs over Kursk and Rostov regions each
• 1 UAV over Bryansk and Belgorod regions each

Additionally, the ministry reported the destruction of a Neptune-MD guided missile over the Azov Sea.