Ukrainian forces struck a major Russian refinery and multiple high-value targets on Wednesday, as officials say a growing drone campaign has already hit 10 Russian oil facilities this month, forcing several to shut down. Ukraine’s General Staff on Wednesday said the Ukrainian military repeatedly targeted the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery in Kstovo and other key Russian sites, according to its Telegram report.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The AVT-6 primary oil processing unit was hit, followed by a fire at the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery near Kstovo in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region,” the statement says.
Why is the Kstovo refinery strategically important?The Kstovo refinery is Russia’s fourth-largest by processing capacity and second-largest in gasoline production, handling more than 15 million tons of crude annually.It produces roughly 5 million tons of gasoline, over 5 million tons of diesel fuel, more than 2 million tons of fuel oil, and about 500,000 tons of bitumen each year.Nizhny Novgorod Regional Governor Gleb Nikitin said drone debris had fallen in the Kstovsky district.“The fall of debris caused damage and subsequent fires at two industrial facilities,” he said, adding that emergency services were working to contain the blaze.The refinery has been targeted several times. After a drone strike on April 5, it suspended operations, according to Reuters.
