Russian Oil Depot Explodes After Ukrainian Drone Strike

A Ukrainian drone attack caused a huge fire and damaged multiple tankers filled with fuel at an oil depot in Russia's Krasnodar region, regional officials said on Friday.

Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Telegram Friday morning that the blaze at the oil hub in the Temryuk district was being extinguished, and that there were casualties.

"Three tanks with petroleum products were damaged and burning. The fire is currently being extinguished," he wrote. "Unfortunately, there are injured among the oil depot employees, they are receiving medical assistance. The remaining employees were evacuated."

Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries and energy infrastructure on Russian soil have ramped up since the beginning of the year. Kyiv began a campaign to hamper gasoline production, which fuels President Vladimir Putin's war economy.

At least 13 successful attacks have been carried out on Russian oil refineries during the conflict so far, targeting some of the largest in the country, according to Ukrainian military intelligence. At least 14 percent of Russian oil refinery capacity has been disrupted as a result of the attacks, the Pentagon's intelligence agency said this month.

The head of the Temryuk district, Fyodor Babenkov, said later on Friday that the fire had been put out, and that two oil depot employees at been injured.

"At night, the infrastructure of the oil depot was damaged by a UAV air strike. As a result, three railway tanks with fuel oil caught fire. At the moment, the fire has been completely extinguished," Babenkov wrote.

The operational headquarters of the Krasnodar region said that 92 people and 30 pieces of equipment worked to extinguish the fire, including 70 personnel and 22 pieces of equipment from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Footage circulating on social media appeared to show the fire at the Krasnodar oil depot. Newsweek couldn't immediately verify the authenticity of the videos and has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry for comment by email.

Ukraine hasn't commented on the attack. Newsweek has contacted Ukrainian authorities for comment by email.

Olha Stefanishyna, a Ukrainian deputy prime minister, has argued that Russian oil refineries were legitimate military targets for Ukraine, while U.S. officials, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, warned that attacks on Russian refineries could have "a knock-on effect in terms of the global energy situation."

Ukraine is "better served in going after tactical and operational targets that can directly influence the current fight," he told the Senate Armed Services committee in early April.

But an investigation by the nongovernmental organization Global Witness said in analysis shared exclusively with Newsweek this month that a number of targeted oil hubs have played a role in Putin's ability to wage war in Ukraine and the Biden administration.

Citing Russian railway data and military procurement contracts also viewed by Newsweek, the nonprofit group said its investigation proves that these refineries have been supplying Russia's army in Ukraine, and clearly constitute legitimate military targets.

The Crimean Wind Telegram channel said Friday that another oil hub in the Krasnodar region located in the port of Kavkaz, which was struck by Ukrainian missiles overnight, supplied fuel to the Russian army in annexed Crimea and in Ukraine's occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Newsweek couldn't independently verify the claim, which was repeated by Ukraine's Defense Ministry on Friday, saying: "This infrastructure was used by the enemy for logistics and supply of the army."

Charlie Dietz, a Pentagon spokesman, told Newsweek on May 21 that the U.S. has "been very clear that we do not support or enable strikes inside Russia."

"The security assistance we provide them is for use within Ukraine (to include Crimea). And the Ukrainian government understands our position," Dietz said. "For one thing, targeting Russia's oil refineries can negatively impact global security and stability. But ultimately Ukraine is responsible for its own operations, so I'll let them speak for themselves."

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