Ukraine strikes Novoshakhtinsk refinery, Russian drone hubs military supplies disrupted

Ukrainian forces have struck the Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery in Russia’s Rostov region, as well as a fuel depot in Voronezh and a drone storage and logistics base in Russian-occupied Donetsk, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has confirmed.

The attacks occurred overnight on August 21, with the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces coordinating alongside other defence units, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

The Novoshakhtinsk refinery, a major fuel supplier to southern Russia and Russian military units, houses more than 210,000 cubic metres of fuel. The General Staff reported multiple explosions following the strike.

Additional hits on the Voronezh fuel depot are expected to disrupt Russian military logistics.

While the full impact is still being assessed, Ukrainian officials said the attacks had already significantly reduced the adversary’s fuel supply capacity and their use of drones.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces targeted a drone warehouse and logistics hub in occupied Donetsk.

The strike caused a series of explosions, substantially limiting the Russian military’s ability to deploy long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Novoshakhtinsk refinery has previously been targeted due to its strategic importance to Russia’s defence industry.

Satellite imagery from December 24 last year showed at least one fuel tank destroyed during an earlier attack, highlighting the facility’s vulnerability and ongoing significance.

By Aghakazim Guliyev