Ukrainian drones strike Rosneft refinery; Fierce battles rage on
22 July 2024 17:43
The Ukrainian drones targeted the refinery in Tuapse in the Krasnodar Krai region. The Russian air defence tried to prevent the threat—unsuccessfully.
A fire broke out in the refinery belonging to the Rosneft company, which was reportedly already extinguished.
According to the residents of Tuapse, the explosions at the petrochemical plant were heard from 9:30 PM ET; there were at least five powerful detonations.
Local authorities reported that on the night from Sunday to Monday, the air defence system shot down eight unmanned aerial vehicles around Tuapse; there were no casualties or material losses.
Fierce battles on the front
On Sunday, there were 77 combat clashes on the front lines against the Russian aggressor. The Russians conducted over 3,200 shellings of Ukrainian military positions in total—according to the periodic communication from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In the past 24 hours, the Russians attacked Ukrainian territory twice using missiles, conducted 52 airstrikes using 69 guided cluster bombs, and deployed 713 kamikaze drones. Intense fighting occurred, especially in the Pokrovsk direction. The enemy was also active in the Kharkiv and Kupiansk directions, as the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Sunday evening.
In the Kharkiv direction, the Russian aggressor carried out nine attacks on Sunday in the vicinities of Hlubokoe and Vovchansk, seven of which were successfully repelled. Preliminary estimates indicate that the Russian losses were 79 soldiers killed and wounded. Additionally, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed a tank, two artillery systems, an armoured fighting vehicle, 12 military vehicles, and three pieces of special equipment.
The highest activity of Russian forces was observed in the Pokrovsk direction, where in the past 24 hours, they attempted 27 times to break through Ukrainian defences. Twenty-two attacks were repelled, and fighting is still ongoing in five locations. "Ukrainian defenders are taking actions to stabilize the situation and prevent the enemy from penetrating deeper into Ukrainian territory," reads the Sunday communication from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
