Drone strikes on Russian refineries spark fires and fuel shortages

At least five Russian regions have reported drone attacks on oil refineries overnight from Thursday to Friday, according to the independent newspaper "The Moscow Times". In this manner, Ukrainians caused a fire 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 (10 May). The Moscow Times reports that three diesel oil tanks and one heating oil tank caught fire.

Officials declared the fire extinguished shortly, and no one was harmed. According to residents in the vicinity of the plant, explosions were heard, preceded by the sound characteristic of flying drones. In this version of events, the fire was large, and by the morning of Friday, it had not been extinguished yet.

"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 18 March to 24 March, gasoline production in Russia fell by 14.3 per cent year-on-year. Meanwhile, the reduction compared to the previous week amounted to 7.4 per cent.

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 the war in Ukraine. The USA disapproves of the strategy 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".