Ukraine strikes Russian targets with swarm of drones and rockets

Russian officials reported attacks on energy facilities

Ukraine forces pounded targets across Russia on Tuesday with at least 25 drones and nine rockets, in a sweeping attack that one Russian official said had triggered a fire at a major refinery in the world’s second-largest oil exporter.

The main crude distillation unit (AVT-6) at Russia’s NORSI refinery is damaged which means that at least half of the refinery’s production is halted, industry sources said.

Russia and Ukraine have both used drones to strike critical infrastructure, military installations and troop concentrations in their more than two-year war, with Kyiv hitting Russian refineries and energy facilities in recent months.

Russia’s defence ministry said it had downed 25 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions including Moscow, Leningrad, Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, Tula and Oryol.

Russian officials reported attacks on a slew of energy facilities, including a fire at Lukoil’s NORSI refinery and a drone destroyed on the outskirts of the town of Kirishi, home to Russia’s second largest oil refinery.

Gleb Nikitin, governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, posted a picture of the NORSI refinery and said emergency services were working to put out a fire there.

“A fuel and energy complex facility was attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles,” Nikitin said on Telegram. Russian Telegram channels said a crude distillation unit at the refinery had been damaged and was on fire.

This photo published on the official Telegram account of the Nizhny Novgorod region governor Gleb Nikitin, on March 12, 2024, shows emergency vehicles at the spot of a fire on the grounds of a fuel and energy complex in the town of Kstovo (TELEGRAM / @glebnikitin_nn/AFP v)

Lukoil did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The NORSI refinery can process about 17 million metric tons of oil per year, or 340,000 barrels per day. It typically produces 11% of Russia’s gasoline.

Domestic gasoline prices are sensitive for motorists and farmers in the world’s biggest wheat exporter ahead of a March 15-17 presidential election. Russia imposed a six-month ban on gasoline exports on March 1.

The Baza Telegram channel, which is close to Russian law enforcement, said Lukoil’s Nizhny Novgorod refinery had also been hit, and showed pictures of a plume of black smoke rising into the air and a major fire.

Russia’s defence ministry said Ukraine had fired eight RM-70 rockets and one Tochka-U missile at the Belgorod region, where some Russian war correspondents said there had also been an attempt by armed groups to cross into Russian territory.

An electronic screen on the facade of a building displaying an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his quote on the ‘achievements' of Russia in 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

At least two Ukraine-based armed groups purporting to be made up of Russians opposed to the Kremlin said on their social media pages they had launched an incursion across the Russian border on Tuesday. Reuters could not independently verify the claims.

Oryol region’s Governor Andrei Klychkov said Ukraine had launched a drone attack at a fuel facility in the region, with the RIA news agency citing emergency services as saying one petroleum tank was on fire following the attack.

The governor later said firefighters, who were shown spraying plumes of foam, had put out the fire at an oil storage facility in the region.

At least 17 people from high-rise buildings near the site where the drone crashed were reported to have been evacuated to a temporary accommodation centre.

Pilots carry a drone on a training ground in Kyiv region on February 23 (AFP via Getty Images)

Officials in several regions continued to report drone attacks after the defence ministry statement. No casualties were reported in the attacks.

One drone flying towards Moscow had been downed over the Ramensky district near the capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.

What was targeted and what do they produce?

Norsi

A fire broke out at Norsi, Russia’s fourth largest refinery, after a Ukrainian drone attack, Russian officials said. It is located near the city of Nizhny Novgorod, some 430 km (270 miles) east of Moscow.

Owned by Lukoil, its formal name is Lukoil Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez.

NORSI refines about 15.8 million tonnes of Russian crude a year, or 5.8% of total refined crude, according to industry sources.

It produces about 4.9 million tonnes of gasoline, 11% of Russia’s total, 6.4% of diesel fuel, 5.6% of fuel oil and 7.4% of the country’s aviation fuel, according to industry sources.

Lukoil said in January that it had halted a unit at the refinery due to an incident.

Industry sources said before the March 12 drone attack that one of two catalytic crackers remains out of action at the plant.

Kirishi

The governor of the Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, said that a Ukraine drone had been destroyed on the outskirts of Kirishi, which is home to Surgutneftegaz’s Kirishinefteorgsintez (KINEF) refinery.

A map of Kirishi

The Kirishi refinery is one of the top two refineries in Russia. It refines about 17.7 million tonnes of Russian crude, or 6.4% of the total, according to industry sources.

It produces about 2.3 million tonnes of gasoline, 5.3% of Russia’s total, 7.6% of diesel fuel, 16.3% of fuel oil and 3.4% of the country’s aviation fuel, according to industry sources.