Russian drones have struck a facility belonging to Ukraine’s state energy company “Naftogaz” in Poltava region. A fire broke out following the attack, but there were no reports of casualties.
“There were no casualties in the attack,” Naftogaz said.The company said the strike affected its energy infrastructure in central Ukraine. No further details were provided about the extent of the damage to the facility.
Meanwhile, long-range Ukrainian drones struck the Samara linear production and dispatch station near the settlement of Prosvet in Russia’s Samara region. The operation was reported to have been carried out by the Alpha Special Operations Center of Ukraine’s Security Service.
There is preliminary confirmation of damage to oil storage tanks. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a fire broke out at the facility, with several tanks engulfed in flames.
The information released contained no reports of casualties or injuries in the strike in Samara region. Russian authorities have not issued an official comment on the damage and fire.
The Samara linear production and dispatch station is one of the key hubs in Russia’s oil transportation system. Crude oil from Tatarstan, Western Siberia and other Russian regions known for their oil production is delivered to it via trunk oil pipelines.
At the station, oil with different sulfur content is blended to produce the export-grade “Urals” crude. According to data cited in the report on the strike, this grade accounts for up to 50% of Russia’s total oil exports.
Thus, the two attacks affected energy facilities on both sides of the front. The result confirmed so far is a fire at the Naftogaz facility in Poltava region and preliminary evidence of damage to oil storage tanks in Samara region. The extent of the destruction and the impact on the facilities’ operations remain to be clarified.