Ukraine has launched a missile and drone assault on an oil refinery within the Russian metropolis of Novoshakhtinsk, officers there have reported.

“Because of a drone assault in Novoshakhtinsk, a hearth broke out on the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery”, performing governor of the Rostov area Yury Slyusar stated in a Telegram.

Slyusar added that the Ukrainian assault included “over three dozen” drones in addition to three missiles.

The fireplace broke out within the early hours of this morning, December 19, lighting up the evening sky with a glow of burning orange, the Russian Telegram information channel Astra reported.

Photos present a large hearth engulfing the oil refinery that has been repeatedly focused in the course of the course of the struggle.

In response to RBC-Ukraine, explosions have been heard within the metropolis for round 40 minutes, in accordance with residents.

“The sky turned brighter. Identical to final time, after they bombed,” stated one eyewitness.

One other eyewitness added: “There was a sea of explosions… Periodic bursts of computerized gunfire, sounds of downed missiles.”

Photos and movies circulating on social media present a raging blaze with large columns of flames and thick black smoke spiralling into the evening sky.

The Novoshakhtinsk plant is the most important provider of petroleum merchandise in southern Russia.

Situated round six miles (10 kilometres) east of the border with Ukraine, it’s a key provider of gasoline merchandise for the Russian arm. It has been focused by Ukrainian assaults a number of occasions. 

The refinery has a capability of seven.5 million tonnes and processed simply over 5 million metric tonnes of crude in 2021.

On the evening of June 6, 2024, residents residing near the Novoshakhtinsk plant as soon as once more reported listening to explosions within the neighborhood.

Solely earlier this week, Ukraine inflicted one other main blow on Vladimir Putin‘s struggle machine by killing prime Russian basic, Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, in an explosion when a bomb hidden on a moped was detonated in Moscow.