Fire at Russian Oil Refinery in Yaroslavl Extinguished After Drone Attack
Details of the Incident and Its Aftermath
Emergency Response to the Fire
MOSCOW, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Emergency crews have extinguished a major oil refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl region after a big Ukrainian drone attack, Mikhail Evrayev, the regional governor, said on Thursday.
Firefighting Efforts and Resources Deployed
"The fire in the fuel tanks, caused by falling drone debris, has been put out as quickly as possible," Evrayev said on Telegram. He said 102 firefighters and 47 pieces of equipment had been dispatched to fight the blaze.
Extent of the Damage and Casualties
Visual Evidence and Social Media Reports
Unverified images posted on social media had showed plumes of thick black smoke rising over the facility, some 250 km (160 miles) northeast of Moscow.
Drone Attack Details
Evrayev had earlier said air defence units had repelled "the largest attack by enemy drones. All 93 drones were shot down by air defence and electronic warfare units."
Injuries and Fatalities
He said four people had received shrapnel wounds, but that nobody had been killed.
Ukrainian Military Actions and Broader Impact
Statements from Ukrainian Officials
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram earlier on Thursday that the Ukrainian military had hit two Russian oil refineries - the Bashneft-Novoil refinery in the republic of Bashkortostan, and the Slavneft-Yanos refinery in the Yaroslavl region. There was no immediate comment from Russian officials in Bashkortostan.
Impact on Russian Oil Industry
Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russian oil refineries in recent months, causing fuel shortages that authorities have stabilised in many parts of Russia though government officials say problems remain in some areas.
Significance of the Yaroslavl Refinery
The refinery in Yaroslavl - which has been targeted by Ukraine before - has a processing capacity of 15 million metric tons per year, or around 300,000 barrels per day.
Reporting and Editorial Credits
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn, Ron Popeski and Nick Zieminski)
