Ukraine's drones disable Russia's largest oil pumping station
Photo: Drones disrupted an oil pumping station in Russia (Facebook of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine)
The largest oil pumping station of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) on the territory of Russia, Kropotkinskaya, has been disabled after drone strikes. There are no casualties among the station's personnel, according to CPC Telegram channel.
According to the statement, the strike was carried out by seven unmanned aerial vehicles, which were loaded not only with explosives but also with metal striking elements.
"At the moment, the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station has been taken out of operation. Oil transportation through the Tengiz–Novorossiysk pipeline system is being carried out at reduced pumping rates, bypassing the station," the statement reads.
A CPC management team has traveled to the site to assess the damage and determine the timeframe for restoring the station's functionality.
The Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station, located in the Kavkazsky District of Kuban, is the largest oil pumping station of CPC on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Caspian Pipeline Consortium is an international oil transportation company involving companies from Russia, Kazakhstan, and foreign extraction companies. It was established to construct and operate the Caspian Main Oil Pipeline, which is over 1,500 km long.
The pipeline primarily receives oil from Western Kazakhstan's fields and crude oil from Russian producers. The oil is transported to the company's marine terminal in the village of Yuzhnaya Ozereevka (west of Novorossiysk), where it is loaded onto tankers for shipment to global markets.
Ukraine is attacking Russia’s oil infrastructure to reduce the aggressor’s military potential. In particular, last week in the Tver region (Russia), an oil pumping station, Andreapol, was damaged in a drone attack. This station is considered one of the key points of the Baltic Pipeline System-2.
