Ukraine launched a major attack on Russia overnight with drones, some of which set fire to the huge Kirishi refinery in northwestern Russia, local officials said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said at least 361 Ukrainian targets had been shot down by air defense systems, including four guided bombs and a U.S.-made HIMARS rocket.
Surgutneftgaz’s Kirishi refinery, one of Russia’s two largest, was among the facilities hit, Russian officials said. Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said three drones were destroyed in the Kirishi region, adding that a fire at the refinery caused by falling debris had been extinguished. He said there were no casualties.
Kirishi refines about 17.7 million metric tons of Russian crude oil annually, 6.4 percent of the country’s total.
In recent weeks, the United States has stepped up pressure on NATO member states to tighten sanctions on Russia’s energy sector in a bid to cut off Moscow’s revenues and help end the war in Ukraine. On Saturday, US President Donald Trump said he was ready to impose new sanctions on Russia if NATO members stop buying Russian oil and take similar measures.
