Drone strikes ignite major blaze at Novoshakhtinsk refinery
Night-time fire at the oil refinery in Novoshakhtinsk in the Rostov region. Earlier, Russian authorities reported a drone attack.
The drone attack occurred on Wednesday evening. The governor of the Rostov region stated that the air defence repelled the attack. He added that seven drones were destroyed, including six in Taganrog and one in Bataysk. "According to preliminary information, there were no casualties or damage on the ground," reported Yuri Slusar.
However, significant damage quickly became apparent. Local media released recordings of the burning oil refinery in Novoshakhtinsk.
According to the Russian portal Shot, the first explosions were heard around 11 PM Greenwich Time over Taganrog.
"Eyewitnesses also reported bright flashes in the sky and the sounds of alarm sirens. Later, residents of Rostov, Bataysk, and Novoshakhtinsk started reporting it as well - in the latter city, fire and smoke were observed at the local oil refinery," reports Shot.
The local channel Eto Rostov published the moment of the attack on the refinery. "In total, users counted 30-40 explosions over the course of a few hours. The road near the refinery is currently closed to traffic," it was reported.
