MOSCOW, April 28 (Reuters) – A Ukrainian drone strike caused a major fire at a Russian oil refinery in the city of Tuapse on Tuesday, officials said, with President Vladimir Putin calling it evidence of an increase in attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine.
It was the third attack on a Black Sea port in less than two weeks.
The Ukrainian military confirmed it had carried out the attack, the latest in a series of attacks aimed at disrupting Russia’s oil industry and cutting into revenue that helps Moscow fund its war in Ukraine.
“Drone attacks against civilian infrastructure are becoming more and more frequent,” Putin said in comments broadcast on Russian television.
“The latest example is the attack on Tuapse energy facilities, which could have severe environmental consequences,” he said.
Putin said regional governor Veniamin Kondratiev reported there was no major threat. He added: “There appears to be no serious danger and people are managing to cope with the challenges they face on the ground.”
Flow of petroleum products into oceans halted
Russian media quoted Alexander Kulenkov, Putin’s emergency minister sent to the region, as saying the situation was “complex but controllable.”
Kulenkov said the flow of oil products into the Black Sea had stopped and booms would ensure the leak did not spread.
Kondratiev said the fire brigade was working to control the blaze and that another 300 emergency personnel would arrive on Wednesday.
The Kremlin accuses Ukraine of exacerbating a global oil shortage by targeting storage facilities that store oil for export.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Moscow’s accusations. In the past, President Zelensky has said that Russian exports are not enough to influence global market prices.
Pictures on social media showed thick black smoke rising in the direction of the Tuapse refinery. State consumer watchdogs are telling people to stay indoors and close their windows.
After the attack on April 20, black rain fell on the Black Sea port town and a beach resort, leaving an oily residue.
Refinery paused
Industry sources told Reuters that the refinery halted production on April 16 because drones caused damage to the port, making it impossible to ship its products. The attack killed at least three people, one of whom caused an oil spill at sea, officials said.
Tuapse district chief Sergei Boyko on Tuesday ordered residents near the refinery to evacuate to schools.
On social media, some residents demanded explanations for why air defenses were not stepped up to prevent a third consecutive attack. Some complain that Moscow is indifferent to their plight.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said authorities were “working intensively” to counter Ukrainian drone attacks.
Since March, Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian energy targets, U.S.-brokered peace talks have been suspended and Washington has focused primarily on the war with Iran.
The Tuapse refinery has an annual capacity of approximately 12 million tons, or 240,000 barrels per day, producing naphtha, diesel, fuel oil and vacuum gas oil.
(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Tomasz Janowski, Rod Nickel and Ron Popeski)