The Russian city of Tuapse has been the target of a new massive Ukrainian drone attack, mainly targeting the Rosneft oil refinery and the sea terminal in the port.
Local residents report more than 10 powerful explosions in the area of the port and refinery. According to Russian authorities, the fire was caused by “falling debris“ of neutralized drones.
More than 122 firefighters and 39 pieces of equipment were involved in extinguishing the fire.
According to preliminary data, no one was injured, although previous attacks earlier in the month (on April 16 and 20) resulted in deaths and injuries.
The attack on April 28 is the third major wave of strikes this month. Earlier reports from late April indicated that over 50% of the refinery's fuel tanks had already been destroyed or damaged.
The continuous strikes have led to a serious oil spill in the Black Sea, with the slick moving towards the Gelendzhik region. Residents of Tuapse are complaining of “black rain” and difficulty breathing due to high levels of benzene and xylene in the air.
The Tuapse refinery has suspended operations for an indefinite period, severely disrupting Russian exports of petroleum products.
Due to the threat, flight restrictions were temporarily imposed at nearby airports in Krasnodar and Gelendzhik.