Ukrainian forces have launched attacks on oil facilities and a passenger train in a series of coordinated strikes in Russia and Russian-held Crimea, as per official statements.
A significant plume of smoke was observed emanating from the Grushovaya oil trans-shipment base, where 130 firefighters were deployed by Russian authorities to extinguish the fires.
In a separate incident, a Ukrainian drone targeted a passenger train traveling from Moscow to Simferopol in occupied Crimea, resulting in injuries to the train driver and the unfortunate death of the driver’s assistant, confirmed by Kremlin-appointed regional leader Sergei Aksyonov.
Following the assault, all passenger train operations in Crimea were suspended, with the evacuation of passengers and the provision of replacement bus services reported by Russian operator Grand Service Express.
According to Russia’s Defence Ministry, Ukrainian drones numbering 310 were intercepted overnight into Monday, covering regions such as Moscow, western and south-western Russia, Russian-held Crimea, and the Black and Azov seas.
Conversely, Ukraine responded by deploying 155 drones targeting Russia, resulting in the downing or suppression of 124 by Ukrainian air defenses, as confirmed by Ukraine’s Air Force.
Ukraine’s General Staff disclosed that Ukrainian forces conducted strikes in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai region, particularly hitting the Grushovaya oil trans-shipment base near Novorossiysk, a prominent hub for oil and petroleum products in southern Russia.
Russian regional authorities acknowledged that a Ukrainian drone initiated a fire at the facility, noting no casualties. While the extent of the damage remains unconfirmed, efforts involving 130 rescue personnel and 39 units of equipment were undertaken to extinguish the fire.
Moreover, the Krasny Yar “linear production and dispatching station” in the Volgograd region was also targeted, causing a fire at the location, as mentioned by the General Staff. Although the facility’s production details were not specified by Russian governor Andrei Bocharov, no injuries were reported.
Furthermore, Ukraine conducted strikes at the Semykolodezkaya oil base in Russian-controlled Crimea, igniting a fire at the site used for storing fuel reserves servicing the Russian military. Additionally, Ukrainian forces attacked an oil depot near Feodosia in Crimea, as confirmed by the General Staff.