Drone attack kills one and ignites Russia's second-largest refinery
Ukrainian drones struck the Kirishi facility in Leningrad while Russian forces targeted power grids and a cargo ship in Ukraine.
By Andrew Kovalenko ·
Cross-border strikes between Russia and Ukraine concluded overnight with at least one fatality and a fire at a major energy facility. The attacks occurred on Sunday night into Monday, with officials on both sides confirming the damage by late Monday.
The Kirishi refinery in the Leningrad region caught fire following a Ukrainian drone strike. Leningrad Regional Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko announced the incident on Telegram. He stated that a woman died from falling drone debris and that an apartment in the town of Kirishi sustained damage. Russian air defense units reported shooting down 113 Ukrainian drones over the area during the same timeframe.
The Kirishi facility ranks as the second-largest oil refinery in Russia. The Leningrad region functions as a primary hub for exporting Russian oil and grain to the Baltic Sea. Drozdenko confirmed the fire and the casualty count in his social media post.
Russian forces responded by targeting three power substations across Ukraine. State news agencies reported that these strikes occurred overnight. Moscow also claimed its forces hit a cargo ship in the Black Sea, alleging the vessel was transporting arms to Ukrainian forces. Al Jazeera noted it could not independently verify the status of the ship.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the impact on civilians via a post on X on Monday. He said many cities and communities face difficult conditions regarding power, water, and heating supplies due to Russian strikes. Zelenskyy identified the Kyiv, Dnipro, Sumy, Donetsk, and Kherson regions as experiencing the most acute energy crises.
Zelenskyy announced an agreement with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday. The two leaders agreed to activate a special emergency mechanism. This framework allows European Union funds to be deployed more quickly in response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy stated the funding would go to what is needed most and added that Ukrainian teams are already working on the process.
