A Russian drone attacked the Bandurka oil extraction plant, owned by the Kernel agricultural holding, in the Mykolaiv region, causing a large-scale spill of sunflower oil. Four tanks were damaged in the strike, one of which was completely destroyed. The oil spilled beyond the protective embankment and contaminated over 3,500 square metres of land. The Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine and the State Environmental Inspectorate reported on the consequences of the attack on 13 November. Experts are assessing the condition of the soil and taking measures to prevent the oil from entering water bodies.
- A Russian drone attacked the Kernel factory in the Mykolaiv region on 12 November.
- Four tanks containing 8,500 tonnes of sunflower oil have been damaged.
- The spill contaminated over 3,500 square metres of the surrounding area.
- No oil spill into the river has been recorded; clean-up operations are ongoing.
A Russian drone destroyed a tank containing sunflower oil
The attack took place on 12 November at around 05:30 in the village of Bandurka, in the Pervomaiskyi district. A drone struck the premises of a company owned by one of Ukraine’s largest producers and exporters of sunflower oil.
According to the State Environmental Inspectorate, four storage tanks were damaged, containing a total of 8,500 tonnes of oil. One The 3,000-cubic-metre tank has been completely destroyed.
The impact also damaged the protective earth embankment designed to contain liquids in the event of an accident. As a result of this barrier being breached, oil spilled into the surrounding area.
The pollution has affected more than 3,500 square metres of land
Environmentalists surveyed the site of the attack and documented soil contamination covering an area of over 3,500 square metres. This is roughly half the size of a standard football pitch.
Experts have taken soil samples for laboratory analysis. These are intended to determine the extent of the environmental impact and help calculate the damage caused to the environment.
According to the Ministry of Economy and the Environment, there is no threat to residential areas. As of 12:00 on 13 November, no direct spillage of oil into water bodies had been recorded either.
In particular, the pollution did not reach the Chornyi Tashlyk River, which is situated near the plant.
The company is pumping out the oil and erecting protective barriers
Work is underway on the factory premises to pump out the spilled oil from the affected containment area. At the same time, additional earthen barriers are being erected to prevent the contamination from spreading further.
Once the laboratory tests have been completed, the State Environmental Inspectorate will calculate the extent of the environmental damage caused by the Russian attack.
The attack on the Bandursky plant was part of a series of strikes by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian food industry enterprises. Earlier, Kernel reported that all eight of its oil extraction plants had been brought to a complete standstill due to Russian shelling.
