Ukraine has launched attacks on several key oil industry targets in Russia, just hours after the United States eased sanctions on the sale of Russian oil.
According to Ukrainian officials, two refineries in the Samara region were hit on Saturday night, as well as other strategic facilities, including an oil terminal in the Krasnodar region, the Vysotsk port on the Baltic Sea and a fuel depot in Sevastopol, in occupied Crimea.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not directly confirm the attacks, stating only that air defense systems shot down 258 Ukrainian drones overnight. However, Russian regional authorities acknowledged incidents and fires at some of the facilities hit.
Officials in the Krasnodar region announced that an oil depot in Tikhoretsk was engulfed in flames, while hundreds of workers and dozens of vehicles were involved in the firefighting operation.
The commander of Ukraine's drone forces, Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, said the attacks were a direct response to the US decision to temporarily allow Russian oil exports, calling the decision "cynical" and warning that it comes at a cost in Ukrainian lives.
The US Treasury Department's decision, taken on Friday, allows the export of Russian oil until May 16, with the aim of reducing pressure on global energy prices, affected by tensions in the Middle East.
This is the second time the US administration has taken such a step, despite criticism, while energy revenues continue to remain a key source of funding for Russia's war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, analysts warn that these developments could further escalate tensions in the region, at a time when global energy markets remain volatile. /Panorama
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