The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces has confirmed it struck the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia's Rostov Oblast on June 5, claiming the attack destroyed 1.5 million tons of oil and oil products worth $540 million.
In a post on Telegram on June 10, the military said the attack had been carried out by "Ukrainian-made means," but did not elaborate.
At the time of the strike, Rostov Oblast Governor Vasily Golubev claimed the fire was caused by a drone attack.
In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industry, which is crucial to sustaining Moscow's war efforts.
"Attacks on Russian oil refineries significantly complicate the execution of tasks by the enemy's troops in the course of armed aggression against our country," the General Staff said.
Ukrainian troops had targeted the facility earlier in the spring. Military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov said on March 13 that the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery partially shut down as a result of a drone strike.
Rostov Oblast borders Ukraine to the southeast. Reports of drone attacks against the region's oil industry have increased in spring 2024.
The CEO of Russia's state-controlled oil company, Rosneft, asked the Kremlin in May to approve tax breaks to offset the cost of preventing drone attacks on the company's oil refineries.
Francis Farrell
