Extinguishing a fire at a Russian oil refinery after an attack by a drone – TASS

(Reuters) – A drone attack set fire to product storage facilities at one of the largest oil refineries in southern Russia, but emergency services put out the fire after just two hours and the plant was operating normally, the Tass news agency reported.

The Ilsky refinery, near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in the Krasnodar region, has a processing capacity of about 6.6 million tons per year.

“The results of the accident have been eliminated,” the agency said, citing the plant’s press service. She said the circumstances of the fire and damage were being assessed.

The day before, a fuel depot caught fire in the west, near a bridge connecting mainland Russia with occupied Crimea.

“Second restless night for our emergency services,” Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev wrote on Telegram, adding that tanks with oil products were on fire at the Elsky refinery.

There were no injuries, he added, citing initial reports and did not say how the fire started.

Ukraine rarely claims responsibility for what Moscow says are frequent drone strikes against infrastructure and military targets, particularly in areas close to Russia.

Moscow blamed Ukraine for an attack on April 29 that set fire to an oil depot in Sevastopol. Kiev’s military says undermining Russian logistics is part of preparations for a long-awaited counteroffensive.

(Reporting by David Leungren). Editing by Sandra Mahler

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