Drone attacks on Russian refineries: A fiery strike on fuel production

At least five Russian regions reported drone attacks on oil refineries overnight from Thursday to Friday, according to the independent newspaper "The Moscow Times." Ukrainians caused a fire in this manner in the Kaluga region southwest of the capital, Moscow.

Governor Vladyslav Shapsha confirmed the effective attack on an oil processing plant near Kaluga on Friday (May 10). The Moscow Times reports that three diesel oil tanks and one heating oil tank caught fire.

Officials declared the fire extinguished after a short time, and no one was harmed in the incident. According to residents near the plant, explosions were heard, preceded by the sound characteristic of flying drones. This version of events suggests that the fire was large, and by the morning of Friday, it had not yet been extinguished.

"According to reports from Russian media, attacks by Ukrainian drones on oil refineries in Russia have led to a reduction in gasoline production in the country," writes "The Moscow Times."

Rosstat data indicate that from March 18 to March 24, gasoline production in Russia fell by 14.3 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, the reduction compared to the previous week amounted to 7.4 percent.

By targeting Russian refineries, Kyiv aims to hinder the Putin regime's export of petroleum products and its ability to send supplies to the front line in Ukraine. The strategy is criticized by the USA, which fears a rise in raw material prices.

"Ukraine should continue to attack refineries in Russia, and criticism of this strategy by the USA is not justified, as it creates pressure on Moscow similar to what was intended by sanctions on the Russian energy sector," assesses the American magazine "Foreign Affairs."