Russian Defense: Fire at Ryazan Refinery Following Ukrainian Drone and Missile Attack

Moscow, October 15 (KUNA) -- The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday that its air defenses intercepted a sustained Ukrainian attack targeting an oil refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region, confirming the destruction of four Flamengo missiles and the downing of 69 drones. The fall of debris from one of the drones sparked a fire inside the refinery.

Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted the region’s governor, Pavel Malkov, as saying the attack caused a fire at the refinery and that material damage was still being assessed. He added that the attack also damaged a warehouse at another facility in the region.

These developments come amid an escalation in the Russian-Ukrainian war, with both sides increasingly targeting energy and infrastructure facilities. Disagreements persist over halting attacks on oil installations, which play a significant role in global fuel supplies and markets.

According to the Russian news agency TASS, the refinery owned by Rosneft is one of the key oil facilities supplying fuel to the capital, Moscow. Its refining capacity accounts for about five percent of Russia’s total oil refining capacity, meaning any damage to it could have potential implications for domestic oil product supplies.

The refinery has been targeted by drone attacks in recent months. Sources in the industry told TASS in September that major refining units at the facility had been shut down following a previous attack, highlighting the challenges facing the operation of Russian oil facilities amid continued targeting.

Today’s attack coincided with political developments related to efforts to halt attacks on Russian and Ukrainian energy infrastructure. News agencies reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the resumption of attacks on Russian refineries, stating that Kyiv could not continue suspending its strikes while Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities persist. (End) D.A.N. / T.A.B.