Ukraine hits Russian energy sites; Crimea halts fuel sales

5 dead, 28 hurt in drone strikes

Moscow: Russia-occupied Crimea has halted civilian gasoline sales after intensified Ukrainian drone strikes on fuel infrastructure across the Black Sea peninsula, as Kyiv expanded its campaign against Russia’s energy sector.

Crimea Governor Sergey Aksyonov said overnight Ukrainian attacks killed four people and injured 28. Auth­o­rities subsequently restricted fuel sales to government age­ncies responsible for essential services and security, suspending civilian sales indefinitely amid growing crisis.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Crimean oil depot and an oil transport facility in Russia’s Krasnodar region were among the targets. Russian officials in Krasnodar reported a fire at a Black Sea oil terminal following a drone attack, while a separate strike on a ferry killed one person.

Ukraine also targeted the Tyumen oil refinery in Russia’s Ural region, about 2,000 km from the Ukrainian border. Emergency crews were deployed after debris fell at the site, though preliminary assessments indicated the refinery was not damaged and employees had been evacuated, as per Tyumen Governor Alexander Moor.

Reacting to the strikes, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s newly upgraded long-range drones were capable of hitting targets more than 3,000 km away. He described the attack on the Tyumen refinery as an “effective strike” and said it demonstrated Kyiv’s growing ability to target strategic facilities deep inside Russia.

The Tyumen refinery is among Russia’s largest privately owned oil-processing plants and a key supplier to the domestic fuel market.

Ukraine has increased attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in recent mon­ths. Southern Russian regions have reported gasoline shortages, while Crimea has faced fuel rationing and long queues at petrol stations as supply disruptions worsen. —AP

Our long-range sanctions have reached Russia’s Tyumen region, another oil-processing facility over 2,000 kilometres from our state border. An effective strike. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy Ukraine’s President