(MENAFN) Lukoil, the owner of the Volgograd oil refinery in southern Russia, has confirmed that the facility is operating normally following a fire on Saturday. Local authorities initially reported that the fire, which occurred after a drone attack, had been successfully extinguished. According to a Ukrainian source cited by Reuters, the attack involved two drones targeting a significant oil processing facility within the Volgograd refinery, and was executed by the Ukrainian Security Service.
Situated along the Volga River, the Volgograd refinery boasts an annual crude oil processing capacity of 14.8 million tons, equivalent to approximately 300 thousand barrels per day. This incident marks the latest in a series of drone attacks orchestrated by Ukraine on Russian oil facilities in recent weeks, with Kiev deeming such infrastructure crucial to the Russian war effort.
The source from Kiev revealed to Reuters that these drone attacks on Russian oil refineries are anticipated to persist, emphasizing their strategic impact. The source stated, "By targeting oil refineries within the Russian military-industrial complex, we are not only disrupting the logistics of fuel supplies for Russian army equipment, but we are also undermining Russia's budget mobilization."
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has escalated to include targeted attacks on energy infrastructure, reflecting both nations' attempts to disrupt supply lines and erode the adversary's morale. With the conflict persisting for nearly two years without a clear resolution in sight, this latest incident underscores the intensity and strategic complexity of the ongoing struggle between the two nations.
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