Tuapse, Russia. A Ukrainian drone attack caused what local officials described as a large-scale fire at Russia’s Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea, prompting evacuations of nearby buildings on Tuesday.
Fire and evacuations
Krasnodar region Governor Veniamin Kondratiev said on Telegram that a large-scale fire broke out at an oil refinery after a drone attack. Tuapse district head Sergei Boyko ordered the evacuation of streets near the refinery due to the danger of the fire spreading.
Operations and ownership
The refinery is owned by Rosneft ROSN.MM and delivers oil products mainly for exports, industry sources said. Operations have been halted since April 16 following an earlier drone attack, according to those sources.
Ukraine’s strikes and response
Ukraine did not immediately comment on the reports. Kyiv has stepped up strikes on Russia since March, with U.S.-brokered talks on the war in Ukraine on pause and Washington mainly focusing on the Iran war.
Recent incidents and local impacts
One of the recent attacks on the Tuapse refinery and the port of Tuapse led to an oil spill at sea and a blaze that took several days to put out. Last week, local residents were urged to stay indoors, keep windows shut and wipe down surfaces after byproducts from fires caused by earlier drone attacks mixed with rainfall to create a “black coating” in areas around the terminal, local authorities said.
Refinery capacity and output
The Tuapse refinery has annual production capacity of about 12 million metric tons, or 240,000 barrels per day, and produces naphtha, diesel, fuel oil and vacuum gasoil.
What impact do you think repeated strikes could have on operations at key energy facilities?