Drone strikes targeted multiple locations in Russia overnight into Thursday, April 16, including an oil refinery in the Krasnodar region and energy infrastructure in Belgorod, according to Russian officials and open-source analysts.
A fire broke out at the Tuapse oil refinery following the attack, according to analysis by ASTRA, which said at least two fire sites were located on the refinery’s territory, with another blaze detected offshore.
The refinery, operated by a subsidiary of Rosneft, is part of a larger fuel supply complex that includes a marine terminal on the Black Sea.
Regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said two people were killed, including a minor, and several others were injured. He did not confirm damage to the refinery.
Authorities declared a state of emergency in the area, with local officials reporting damage to residential buildings and schools. Classes were canceled in Tuapse following the attack.
Energy infrastructure hit in Belgorod
In the Belgorod region, a drone strike caused a fire at an energy facility, leaving parts of the city and nearby settlements without electricity and water, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
Local reports indicated that the strike may have hit the “Yuzhnaya” substation, though this could not be independently verified.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had downed 207 drones overnight across multiple regions, including Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk and the Krasnodar region, as well as over the Black and Azov seas.
According to the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, USF units also took part in the strike on the Tuapse oil refinery.
In a Telegram post, Brovdi said that further details of the operation will be released by Ukraine’s General Staff. As of now, no additional information has been provided.