Ukrainian drones strike oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region

Ukrainian drones strike oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region

Paul Godfrey

Wed, December 17, 2025 at 1:30 PM UTC

3 min read

UPI — Ukraine attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure extended into a fifth day overnight with a drone strike on an oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai. The strikes are part of a campaign targeting Russia's war-fighting ability by attacking the infrasructure it depends on for fuel, munitions and other critical supplies. File Photo by Russian Emergencies Ministry/EPA-EFE

Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Ukrainian drones attacked a Russian oil refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban and other energy infrastructure overnight, blacking out the city and injuring at least two people in the Krasnodar Krai region of southwestern Russia.

Footage circulating online, captured by residents, showed a large fire at the Slavyansk ECO plant and the sound of explosions and air defenses in action.

Authorities said Wednesday that the drone strikes damaged two high-voltage power lines, knocking out the electricity supply to more than 60% of the city's 63,000 population, with more than 13,000 people still without power.

Confirming its forces had targeted the oil plant with "deep strike" weapons, Ukraine's General Staff said it was still assessing the damage inflicted.

The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted and shot down 47 Ukrainian drones above Krasnodar Krai and the waters of the Azov and Black Seas.

Two civilians were being treated in the hospital after being injured by debris falling from downed drones in the Slavyansky district and several houses sustained damage, Krasnodar Region operational command said.

It said houses were also damaged in surrounding areas to the north and east of the city.

Neither the defense ministry nor the Krasnodar operational command made any mention of the refinery.

The Slavyansk ECO plant, strategically placed to export into the international market from its location in the Kurban River delta close to Black Sea and Asov Sea oil terminals, refines 4 million tons of oil a year, according to the operating company's website.

A further 47 drones were shot down over Russia's Rostov, Voronezh, Saratov, Volgograd and Bryansk regions, according to Moscow.

Saratov is more than 600 miles from Ukraine, deep inside Russia.

Wednesday's attack came amid a recent widening of offensive operations by Kyiv, targeting both Russia's industrial war machine and high-value military targets in Russian territory.

On Monday, Ukraine's Security Service said it had disabled a Russian Kilo-class submarine using an underwater drone at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in Krasnodar Krai, the first time it had successfully carried out such an attack.

Ukraine mounted a large-scale attack against Russian military and oil facilities in occupied Crimea overnight Saturday, striking two oil depots, including one in Simferopol, the capital, and a substation in Dzhankoy, according to Ukrainian military news website, Militarnyi.

A Kasta-2E2 surveillance radar and an S-400 air defense system radar were also hit.

Ukraine Special Operations Forces claimed its drone operators struck a moving train delivering fuel for Russia's armed forces near Yantarne on the peninsula, 35 miles northeast of Simferopol.

Ukraine's General Staff said on social media Sunday that targets in Russia were also hit, including the Afipsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai, the Uryupinsk oil depot in Volgograd Oblast, a chemical plant in Veliky Novgorodas well as several other energy facilities.

A power station in Smolensk, 220 miles southwest of Moscow, was also set ablaze after being struck by drones.

On Friday, the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl, one of Russia's five largest, northeast of Moscow and more than 630 miles from Ukraine, was struck by drones with locals reporting at least five explosions at the plant.

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