Ukraine kills 12 in drone strikes on Russian city of Nizhnekamsk, state media reports
A Ukrainian "Chaklun" long-range strike drone takes off from a mobile launcher during an operational launch targeting Russian military installations in Crimea, from an undisclosed location in Ukraine, Aug. 6. AP-Yonhap
MOSCOW — At least 12 people were killed and injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on industrial and civilian targets in the city of Nizhnekamsk in Russia's Tatarstan region — the site of a major oil refinery — state media reported on Monday.
Radmir Belyayev, the city's mayor, said in a statement on Telegram that unspecified industrial and civilian targets had been hit in the attack which he said was ongoing. The region's oil refinery, one of Russia's most technologically advanced, was hit in the attack, according to various Russian media.
In unverified videos on social media, smoke can be seen rising over what appears to be an oil refinery. Reuters was unable to independently verify the footage. Tatneft's TANECO refinery, which was hit by Ukraine in early June, processed 17 million tons of crude oil in 2024, producing 2.7 million tons of gasoline and 8.5 million tons of diesel fuel. Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov has declared a period of mourning after the Ukrainian attack, Belyayev, the mayor, said.
Ukraine has stepped up its strikes on Russian oil refineries in recent months in a campaign which has caused fuel shortages in many parts of Russia, though authorities say that most of those initial problems have since been resolved.