"Drone attacks on oil refineries in the region were carried out last night. A major oil refining unit caught fire at the Kuibyshev Oil Refinery. There were no casualties," Azarov was quoted as saying by the press service of the Samara region government, according to TASS. The intense fire at the facility has been extinguished.
Meanwhile, an attack by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on Novokuibyshevsk, another oil refinery in Samara province, was repelled and there was no damage, according to Mr. Azarov.
"We see that the enemy, suffering defeat on the battlefield, is doing everything possible to undermine our endurance and unity," Azarov wrote on the Telegram messaging app, according to AFP.
Smoke rises after a Ukrainian drone attacked an oil refinery in Russia's Ryazan province, in this image from video obtained by Reuters on March 13.
Azarov announced the drone attacks on two oil refineries in Samara province as Ukraine significantly stepped up its attacks on Russian energy facilities this month, launching multiple long-range drones against major Russian oil refineries, leading to production shutdowns at several plants, according to Reuters.
On March 22, the Financial Times quoted three sources as saying that the US had called on Ukraine to stop drone attacks targeting Russian energy infrastructure, warning that such attacks risked pushing up global oil prices.
Russia strikes energy infrastructure, millions of Ukrainians lose power
Later, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna emphasized on March 22 that Russian oil refineries were legitimate targets for Ukrainian forces, according to Reuters. "We understand the appeals of our American partners, but at the same time we are fighting with the capabilities, resources and means that we have," Ms. Stefanishyn said at the Kyiv Security Forum.
On the Russian side, when asked about the above call, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized on March 22: "This is an American issue. We want the US to call on the Kyiv regime to abandon its nature, and above all, to abandon terrorist activities against civilian targets and homes."
Peskov's remarks appeared to be a reference to shelling from Ukraine into Russia's border province of Belgorod, where officials said at least 26 people have been killed since December 15, 2023, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, White House spokesman John Kirby on March 22 declined to comment on the Financial Times ’ report that the US had called on Ukraine to stop attacking Russian energy infrastructure. However, Mr. Kirby emphasized that Washington has a long-standing policy of discouraging Ukrainian forces from conducting attacks inside Russian territory, according to Reuters.
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