A wave of powerful explosions rocked @Kyivpost_official.
Local Telegram channels lit up shortly after midnight, reporting air raid sirens, sounds of air defense fire, and flashes over the city. Witnesses in Saratov and nearby Engels described “powerful explosions in the sky” starting around 12:50 a.m.
According to the pro-Kremlin SHOT Telegram channel, the detonations continued sporadically for several hours, with residents across multiple districts, including Balakovo and Kalininsky, hearing the hum of drones and the distinct thuds of intercepts.
The Saratov Oil Refinery is one of Russia’s oldest petroleum processing plants, with an annual refining capacity of 4.8 million tons as of 2023.
Social media was soon flooded with videos showing fires breaking out near what locals identified as a regional oil refinery. Russian pro-war bloggers suggested that one of the strikes may have hit the refinery’s AVT-6 unit — a key installation in oil processing. Others claimed a second drone was neutralized by an anti-drone net protecting the isomerization facility.
Ukrainian Spy Unit Obliterates Russian 'Rubicon' Drone Unit in Targeted Attack
Russian air defenses shot down 64 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 29 over the Saratov region, the Defense Ministry claimed.
At the time of publication, Ukraine had not commented on its possible involvement in the reported attack.
On Sunday Kyiv Post reported that drones have struck oil facilities at the Tuapse port on Russia’s Black Sea coast yet again overnight on Sunday – setting major fire to an oil tanker – as confirmed by multiple sources.
Tuapse is home to one of Russia’s largest Black Sea oil export terminals, handling several million tons of crude and oil products annually – its proximity to Ukraine places it well within range of Ukrainian strikes.
“In the port of Tuapse, fragments of drones fell on an oil tanker. The deck superstructure was damaged. The tanker’s crew was evacuated. A fire broke out on the vessel,” authorities said in a statement.
“The terminal’s buildings and infrastructure were also damaged. In addition, the glass in the railway station building was damaged. According to preliminary information, there are no injuries,” the statement adds.
Kyiv Post’s source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) later confirmed the strike.
“In the port of Tuapse, fragments of drones fell on an oil tanker. The deck superstructure was damaged. The tanker’s crew was evacuated. A fire broke out on the vessel,” authorities said in a statement.
“The terminal’s buildings and infrastructure were also damaged. In addition, the glass in the railway station building was damaged. According to preliminary information, there are no injuries,” the statement adds.
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