Russian oil refinery hit and two killed in drone strike

By the Editorial Team · Monday, June 29, 2026

Ukraine launched intensified drone attacks on multiple Russian oil refineries and border regions, causing fatalities and significant damage, including a fire at a major Krasnodar refinery. These strikes aim to disrupt Russia’s war efforts by targeting critical infrastructure deep inside Russian territory, highlighting the escalating use of drone warfare in the ongoing conflict.

Ukraine intensified its drone campaign against Russia on Monday, targeting key infrastructure and prompting fatalities and damage in multiple locations, according to officials on both sides.

Russian regional authorities reported that debris from intercepted Ukrainian drones ignited a fire at a major oil refinery in Slavyansk-na-Kubani, located in Russia’s Krasnodar region near occupied Crimea. Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of Krasnodar, confirmed that the incident killed one person in Slavyansk and wounded another in a nearby village. The refinery processes nearly four million tons of crude annually and is a significant supplier of petroleum products for exports via Black Sea ports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed responsibility for the strikes on social media, describing the attacks on two Russian refineries as part of “long-range sanctions” aimed at disrupting Moscow’s war efforts. Zelensky stated that hitting these key industrial sites represents “another step toward peace.” He named a second refinery in the Yaroslavl region—about 700 kilometers northeast of the Ukrainian border—as having been struck during overnight Ukrainian drone operations. However, Russian authorities have not confirmed the reported damage at the Yaroslavl facility.

In addition to the refinery strikes, the border region of Belgorod saw casualties from drone attacks overnight. Alexander Shuvayev, the acting governor of Belgorod, said that Ukrainian drone strikes killed one person and injured another in the area.

The Russian Defence Ministry reported that its air defenses intercepted and shot down 213 Ukrainian drones during the night. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched 142 long-range strike drones and eight missiles toward Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian defenses successfully downed 125 drones and seven missiles, the air force said.

The flare-up underscores the intensifying use of drone warfare by Ukraine in targeting Russian military and industrial assets deep inside Russia, while Moscow continues strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure. Both sides have sustained casualties and damage amid what analysts see as escalating tactical deployments of unmanned aerial systems in the conflict.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.