On July 22, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its air defense forces had intercepted 47 Ukrainian drones over five regions of Russia and near the Black and Azov Seas. Meanwhile, state news agency RIA Novosti and regional officials reported damage to the Tuapse Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai, Russia.
The ministry stated that most drones were downed over Rostov, Belgorod, Voronezh, Smolensk regions, and Krasnodar Krai, with 17 reportedly destroyed over the sea.
The regional administration in Krasnodar reported that the Tuapse Refinery, owned by Russian oil giant Rosneft, caught fire due to debris from a downed drone.
According to sources from RBK-Ukraine within intelligence services, the attack on the Tuapse oil refinery in the Krasnodar Krai of Russia was carried out by Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate. According to military intelligence sources, drones were detected in the sky over Tuapse around 03:30 local time. Local reports indicate that during the first wave of the attack, Russian air defense attempted to shoot down four kamikaze drones simultaneously. Later, around 06:25, at least two powerful explosions occurred near the refinery, followed by a fire on the facility’s premises.
In total, at least 8 drones are reported to have attacked the refinery. Russian propagandists note that the infrastructure of the refinery was damaged as a result of the strikes.
The extent of the damage to the defense industry facilities of the aggressor state is still being assessed, according to sources.
The Tuapse Oil Refinery is one of the oldest oil processing plants in Russia and is owned by Rosneft. Established in 1929, the refinery primarily produces goods for export.