Ukraine Drone Attack Kills 13, Including Child, in Russian City Nizhnekamsk
Details and Aftermath of the Nizhnekamsk Drone Strike
MOSCOW, Aug 10 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian drone strike killed at least 13 people, including Central Asian nationals and a child, and wounded 39 others in the Russian city of Nizhnekamsk, authorities said on Monday, one of the heaviest civilian tolls in Russia in months.
Target and Impact of the Strike
Ukraine's military said it had hit Tatneft's TANECO oil refinery in the Tatarstan region, about 800 km (497 miles) east of Moscow, adding that a fire was recorded at the facility.
Russian Response and Investigation
Russian investigators said they had opened a criminal case into what they qualified as a terrorist attack, saying in a statement that Ukraine had struck residential areas and that a child was among those civilians killed.
Accusations and Civilian Toll
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the strike had hit industrial facilities and residential buildings and accused Kyiv of deliberately attacking civilians. Ukraine and Russia have repeatedly said they do not target civilians.
Victims and Nationalities
Seven Uzbek citizens were among those killed in Nizhnekamsk, the Uzbek consulate in Kazan said. A Tajik citizen was also killed, Russian state news agency TASS cited the Tajik foreign ministry as saying.
Casualties in the Hostel
Nine out of 13 victims were in a hostel at the time of the strike, Russian state news agency RIA said, citing the press office of the head of the region. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
Visual Evidence and Facility Details
In videos verified by Reuters on social media, smoke can be seen rising over the oil refinery.
TANECO Refinery Operations
The TANECO refinery, which was also hit by Ukraine in early June, processed 17 million metric tons of crude oil in 2024, producing 2.7 million tons of gasoline and 8.5 million tons of diesel fuel.
Broader Context: Ukraine's Campaign Against Russian Infrastructure
Ukraine has stepped up its strikes on Russian oil refineries in recent months in a campaign that has caused fuel shortages in many parts of Russia, although authorities say that most of those initial problems have since been resolved.
Ukraine's Stated Objectives
Ukraine says it wants to bring the price of Russia's war home to ordinary Russians. Moscow has imported fuel from overseas to help bolster supplies.
Recent Escalation and Reciprocal Attacks
On Sunday, both sides again accused each other of lethal attacks. Three people were killed and 37 wounded in a Russian attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, where a multi-storey apartment block was hit, while authorities in Russia's Belgorod said five were killed and 25 wounded by a Ukrainian drone attack.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Gleb Stolyarov/Andrew Osborn/Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Sharon Singleton)
