Ukrainian drones strike port, oil depot in southern Russia, authorities say
Overview of Overnight Drone Strikes and Their Impact
May 30 (Reuters) - Ukrainian drone strikes hit Russia’s oil infrastructure overnight, damaging a tanker and an oil refinery in Taganrog and striking an oil depot in Armavir, Russian regional officials and Ukrainian military said on Saturday.
Taganrog: Damage to Oil Infrastructure
Details of the Attack
Rostov regional governor Yury Slyusar said on Telegram that fires on the tanker and in the port of Taganrog - a city of about 240,000 - had been extinguished, with no oil spill reported. Two people were injured, he said.
Emergency Response and Local Impact
The city's mayor, Svetlana Kambulova, said a local state of emergency, introduced on May 27, had been extended. Russia's Defence Ministry said that its forces had downed 127 drones overnight.
Armavir: Oil Depot Struck
Fire Contained, No Injuries Reported
In the neighbouring Krasnodar region, authorities in Armavir, which has a population of 185,000, said a fire at an oil depot in the city's industrial zone had been brought under control and that there were no injuries.
Wider Regional Impact
Drone Activity Across Rostov Region
Rostov governor Slyusar said that almost 50 drones had been downed in his region, with attacks reported across the province, which borders Ukraine's Donbas, the focus of fighting between Russia and Ukraine.
Outside Taganrog, he said, only minor damage was reported.
Ukrainian Military and Presidential Statements
Ukrainian Claims of Responsibility
The commander of Ukraine's drone forces said they had struck Taganrog, as well as an oil depot in Feodosiya in Russian-controlled Crimea.
President Zelenskiy’s Comments
Confirmation of Strikes
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed the Ukrainian military strike on the oil facility in Armavir, some 500 km (320 miles) from the Ukrainian state border.
Statement on the Broader Conflict
"We are rightfully bringing the war back to where it came from. Russia could have ended its aggression long ago, but instead chose to prolong and continue it," Zelenskiy said on X.
"So another facility of Russia’s oil industry has been reached – Armavir, Krasnodar Krai."
(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Editing by Ros Russell and Kevin Liffey)
