Ukraine Drone Strike Damages Kirishi Refinery

A Ukrainian drone strike damaged a major oil refinery in the Kirishi industrial zone of Russia's Leningrad region, prompting a suspension of operations and sparking a fire that has since been contained, local officials confirmed Tuesday.

The attack targeted the Kirishinefteorgsintez refinery, located near St. Petersburg and the Baltic coast, overnight between Monday and Tuesday. Ukraine's Security Service claimed responsibility, stating its drones struck three primary crude processing units at the facility and a fuel tank at a nearby oil pumping station that supports exports to the Primorsk port. Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed the refinery as the main target, noting in a Telegram post that the fire had been localized with extinguishing efforts nearly complete. He reported no casualties from the incident, during which Russian air defenses downed 29 drones in the region and 289 nationwide, according to the Defense Ministry.

Industry sources indicated that three of the refinery's four crude distillation units and several secondary units sustained damage, halting production. The facility, a subsidiary of Surgutneftegas, processed about 350,000 barrels per...