By Adam Schrader UPI
Ukraine launched large airstrikes late Saturday and into Sunday that hit a chemical plant and an oil refinery inside of Russia, authorities confirmed, as Russia tested a new hypersonic cruise missile during a joint exercise with Belarus.
Dmitry Makhonin, the governor of Russia’s Perm Krai territory, said in a statement Saturday that a Ukrainian drone flew into an industrial building in Gubakha. He said that no casualties were reported and that the chemical plant was operating normally.
“I appeal to all residents of the region — refrain from publishing photos and videos of the drone,” he said. “By posting such information on social networks, you are helping the enemy, who has made another pathetic attempt to intimidate us. They will not succeed. Victory will be ours.”
But a Ukrainian military intelligence source told The Kyiv Independent newspaper in Ukraine that equipment for urea production has been damaged. Urea is a nitrogen fertilizer used in agriculture that can also be used to make explosives.
The Russian independent media publication Astra reported that the plant hit is operated by Metafrax Chemicals, which has been targeted with sanctions by Britain and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed in a statement that it had hit the Kirish oil refinery in the Leningrad region of Russia.
“Explosions and fire were recorded at the refinery. The results of the impressions are being clarified,” Ukrainian officials said.
The Kirish refinery is one of the largest oil refineries in Russia and produces petroleum products, including automobile gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel.
Leningrad regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said on Telegram that three drones were destroyed in the Kirishi area but that falling debris sparked a fire, which was put out. Nobody was injured in the incident, he said.
Also on Saturday, falling debris from an intercepted drone hit another oil refinery in the Ufa district of the Bashkortostan region of Russia, regional governor Rady Khabirov confirmed. There were no casualties but the site suffered minor damage after a fire broke out.
“After that, another UAV was shot down. The scale of the consequences of its fall is still being clarified,” he said. “All services have been put on combat alert.”
The Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday its forces shot down 80 Ukrainian drones overnight across a wide area of Russia and occupied Crimea. The largest number, 30, were intercepted over the Bryansk region, while 15 were destroyed over Crimea, 12 over Smolensk, and 10 over Kaluga.
And on Friday, Russia said it had shot down hundreds of Ukrainian drones, many of them targeting facilities of the multinational Russian oil company, Lukoil, southwest of Moscow.
Ukraine’s airstrike comes as Russia on Sunday tested a new Zircon cruise missile on a target in the Barents Sea during a joint military exercise with Belarus.
“According to objective control data received in real time, the target was destroyed by a direct hit,” the Russian Defense Ministry said. “The area where the missile launch was conducted was closed in advance to civilian shipping and aircraft flights.”
from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/garPQkY
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