Video footage taken on Jan. 23 shows an alleged attack by long-range kamikaze drones conducted by Ukrainian armed forces attacking the Rostneft Oil Refinery in Ryazan, Russia.
According to video and information verified by the BBC, at least 121 drones attacked the Rostneft refinery, one of the largest in Russia, making the attack one of the largest single operations of its kind ever since Russian troops invaded Ukraine back in 2022.
Tonight, Ukraine 🇺🇦 has inflicted serious damage 🔥 to the Rostneft Oil Refinery in Ryazan, Russia, ~470km from the front, using many long-range kamikaze drones
— Ukraine Battle Map (@ukraine_map) January 23, 2025
These are the most significant strikes on the 3rd largest oil refinery in Russia that Ukraine has done during the war pic.twitter.com/WMnBjZCCx1
Images that circulated around social media show a fireball rising over the refinery located southeast of Moscow, less than 300 miles from the frontlines.
According to BBC reports, Russia said it had shot down 121 enemy drones that had targeted 12 regions including Ryazan and Moscow, but reported no damages. But Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's center for countering disinformation, said on Telegram that the oil refinery in Ryazan had been hit, in addition to the Kremniy factory in Bryansk, which Ukrainian officials claim produces missile components and other weapons.
The Russian state-owned news agency RIA said in a statement from the missile factory in Bryansk that work had been suspended after an attack by six drones. Regional governor Pavel Malkov confirmed emergency services and first-responder teams were deployed at the scene.
The Kremlin acknowledged the attacks but did not report any damages or casualties. It claimed to have intercepted and destroyed the Ukrainian drones, including those over the Moscow, Ryazan and Bryansk regions. Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the city's air defenses intercepted attacks at four different locations.
According to reports, service at two Moscow airports was suspended with six flights being redirected to other airports.
The New York Times reported that Ukraine's fleet of drones have attacked Russian refineries and factories at least 17 times so far this year, as part of its campaign to disrupt Russian military logistics and put pressure on the country's economy by striking the oil industry, one of Moscow's main sources of revenue.
The drones have ranges of about 1,000 miles and reports suggest Ukraine has ramped up their production over the last year to allow routinely attacks.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
