Russia disclosed that Ukraine launched a third drone attack on an oil refinery in a Black Sea coastal city, causing a fire and necessitating the evacuation of nearby residents.
Foreign news agencies reported on 28 Apr 2026 that local officials stated a large Russian oil refinery on the Black Sea coast was struck by Ukrainian drones for the third time this month, resulting in a "severe fire" and forcing evacuations of people living nearby.
Previous attacks on the Tuapse oil refinery in the past two weeks caused significant oil spills into the sea, while residents reported "black rain" falling over the city, leaving oil stains everywhere.
The Kremlin government accused Ukraine of exacerbating the global energy market's oil shortages through these attacks, thereby increasing instability.
The Ukrainian military admitted carrying out the attacks, stating that these refineries were funding sources supporting Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022.
Veniamin Kondratyev, governor of Russia's Krasnodar region, said on Tuesday that firefighters and other rescue personnel were operating under extremely difficult conditions, praising their efforts as "truly courageous acts."
Sergei Boyko, head of the local municipal district, called for residents on nearby streets to evacuate, with a temporary shelter established at a local school.
Meanwhile, the regional crisis management center issued a warning that the intense fire released combustion byproducts into the atmosphere, urging residents to wear masks, rinse their noses, eyes, and throats, keep windows closed tightly, and limit time spent outdoors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the emergency ministry minister to urgently fly to Tuapse to oversee firefighting operations and damage restoration.
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Ukraine attacked oil storage facilities intended for export and accused Ukraine of destabilizing the global energy market.
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Source:bbc