Ukrainian strike kills one in southern Russia, refinery on fire

KIEV

A "massive" Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded another in southern Russia and caused a fire in a refinery, the regional governor said on Sunday.

Krasnodar regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said several houses were also damaged by falling debris.

"Krasnodar region came under a massive enemy drone attack... Sadly, one person was killed," Kondratyev said in a post on Telegram, adding that "one person was wounded and received the necessary assistance on site".

He said that a "fire also broke out at an oil refinery in the city, and a power line and gas pipe were damaged".

The Slavyansk-on-Kuban oil refinery, one of the largest in southern Russia and part of the Slavyansk EKO group, is located near the Crimean peninsula, which is occupied by Russia and has already been attacked several times by Ukraine.

A total of 213 Ukrainian drones were intercepted in more than a dozen regions of Russia, including Moscow, the Ministry of Defence said.

Ukraine has targeted Russian energy infrastructure throughout the war in retaliation for Russian strikes on its civilians and energy infrastructure and has stepped up efforts in recent months to hinder Moscow's financial capabilities in its war effort.

Russia has targeted Ukraine with near-daily strikes since the launch of its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War Two.