Ukraine Hits Largest Petroleum Plant in Russia’s South and Oil Depot in Belgorod Region

Kyiv Post sources in Ukraine’s special services confirmed that in the early morning of Thursday, June 6, Ukrainian drones targeted the Novoshakhtinsky petroleum plant in the Rostov region and an oil depot in the Starooskolsky city district of the Belgorod region.

According to the head of the Rostov region, Vasily Golubev, more than 120 rescuers and at least 15 pieces of equipment, including a fire train, were deployed to extinguish the blaze following the strike on the Novoshakhtinsky plant.

The Novoshakhtinsky petroleum plant is the largest supplier of petroleum products in the south of Russia and the only oil refinery in the Rostov region. In April, the refinery in Novoshakhtinsk was also attacked by UAVs.

The plant’s operations were halted, and employees were evacuated to safety. The fire was contained by 3:00 a.m. and fully extinguished by 4:00 a.m. There have been no injuries reported.

Videos circulating on Russian Telegram channels purportedly show the fire at the Novoshakhtinsk facility.

In a separate incident, drones targeted an oil depot in the Starooskolsky city district of the Belgorod region. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov blamed the attack on the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The explosion ignited a tank, but firefighters quickly extinguished the fire. The blast also shattered windows in the security building, though no casualties were reported.

Moreover, in the village of Gruzskoye in the Borisovsky district, drones dropped explosive devices on an agricultural enterprise. This resulted in one truck catching fire and another being severely damaged. Initial reports indicate no injuries.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 13 Ukrainian drones over Crimea, six UAVs in the Belgorod region, and one Neptune missile in the Rostov region overnight. Authorities in the Voronezh and Kursk regions also reported potential drone threats.