Putin breaks silence on Ukraine's strikes on Tuapse refinery
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin does not see serious threats related to Ukrainian strikes on the oil refinery in Tuapse, the Kremlin leader said during a meeting.
The President complained about targeted Ukrainian strikes on facilities inside Russia, calling them "terrorist." In Putin’s view, Ukraine is resorting to such tactics because it is "losing certain territories every day."
He added that drone strikes on Russian territory are becoming increasingly frequent.
"The latest example is the strikes on energy facilities in Tuapse, which could potentially have serious environmental consequences. The governor just reported—he is on site. At least he was there a few hours ago. It seems there are no serious threats, and people are coping with the challenges they face," Putin said.
Attacks on the Tuapse refinery
Over the past two weeks, Ukraine’s Defense Forces have carried out a series of three large-scale drone attacks on the strategic oil refinery in Tuapse. As a result, more than 60% of the port’s logistics capacity was destroyed, and oil processing units were directly hit.
Due to massive fires and heavy toxic smoke, Russian authorities were forced to announce an urgent evacuation of residents for the first time since the attacks began, while a leak of petroleum products into the Black Sea triggered an environmental disaster.
The shutdown of this facility critically affects Russia’s export revenues and the logistics of the Black Sea Fleet, as the refinery, with a capacity of 12 million tons per year, is a key fuel supplier for Russian forces in southern Ukraine.
More details on the Ukrainian strikes are available in RBC-Ukraine’s report.
