Oil prices rose 2% partly on concerns about supply disruptions following attacks that President Vladimir Putin said were an attempt to sabotage Russia's presidential election this week.
Video footage shows an oil refinery on fire in Ryazan, Ryazan Region, Russia.
Russia and Ukraine have both used UAVs to attack each other's critical infrastructure, with Kiev stepping up attacks on Russian oil refineries and energy facilities in recent months.
A day after severely damaging Lukoil's NORSI oil refinery in the Nizhny Novgorod region, Russian officials said Ukrainian UAVs continued to attack oil refineries in the Rostov and Ryazan regions.
In Ryazan, 180 kilometers from Moscow, a drone attack caused a fire at the Rosneft oil refinery, Russia's seventh-largest. Regional governor Pavel Malkov initially reported several injuries.
Russia’s state-run RIA news agency said four Ukrainian drones attacked the Ryazan plant early Wednesday, causing a 175-square-meter fire. Video showed black smoke billowing over the flames at the plant, which refines about 12.7 million tons of oil a year, or 4.6% of Russia’s total output.
According to sources, it accounts for about 6.4% of Russia's gasoline production, 4.1% of diesel, 7.7% of fuel oil and 8% of aviation fuel.
Images show UAVs hovering above and attacking Russian oil refineries. Video capture
Meanwhile, Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev said there were no casualties but the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery was forced to halt production in the attack. Russian media reported that about 60 drones were destroyed on Russian sovereign territory in the hours on Wednesday.
A Ukrainian source told Reuters that the drone attacks were carried out by Ukraine’s SBU security service. “We are systematically implementing a detailed and calculated strategy to reduce Russia’s economic potential,” the source said.
The SBU source added that Ukrainian defense forces also carried out drone attacks overnight on the Russian airbase in Buturlinovka and a military airport in the Voronezh region.
Attacks on oil refineries - Russia's main source of income - are likely to reduce the country's gasoline and diesel output and push up prices. Mr Putin on Wednesday accused Kiev of trying to interfere in Russia's March 15-17 presidential election through the attacks.
Bui Huy (according to TASS, RIA, Reuters)
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