On the night of 14 July, the Ukrainian Defence Forces struck the «Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat» oil refinery complex in Bashkortostan and the Afipsk oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The military also stated that an oil transhipment area near Gelendzhik and 11 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov had been struck. Fires were reported at both facilities; the full extent of the damage is being assessed.
Briefly about the main points
- Fires were reported at two Russian oil refineries following the strikes.
- The General Staff reported that the oil transhipment area near Gelendzhik had been hit.
- According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 11 vessels have been hit in the Sea of Azov.
- Five tankers and five dry cargo ships were named among the vessels affected.
- It has also been reported that targets in the occupied cities of Donetsk and Luhansk have been struck.
Fires at industrial sites in Bashkortostan and the Kuban
According to General Staff, a strike and subsequent fire were reported at the «Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat» oil refinery complex. The plant is located in Bashkortostan, Russia.
A fire also broke out in the area Afipsk Oil Refinery in the Krasnodar Region. The General Staff reported that this was not the first time the facility had been hit. The Ukrainian military did not specify the extent of the damage or the results of either strike.
Radio Free Europe, citing the General Staff, reports that the design capacity of «Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat» is around 10 million tonnes of crude oil per year, whilst that of the Afipsk refinery is around 6.25 million tonnes.
Oil transhipment and vessels in the Sea of Azov
Separately, the Defence Forces reported that they had struck a ship transhipment area near Gelendzhik in the Krasnodar Krai. According to the General Staff, this area is used for the transhipment of Russian oil and to support naval and military logistics.
According to the military, eleven vessels have been struck in the waters of the Sea of Azov. The General Staff claims that they were being used to transport Russian oil and petroleum products in circumvention of international sanctions.
- five tankers
- five dry-cargo ships
- one harbour tug
Additional stated objectives in the occupied territory
The General Staff also reported that a Russian forces’ ammunition depot in occupied Donetsk and a logistics hub in occupied Luhansk had been struck. The statement did not provide any details regarding these targets, nor did it give an assessment of the consequences of the strikes.
This was confirmed by the Russian authorities
Earlier, the Russian authorities reported air strikes and fires in Bashkortostan and the Krasnodar Krai. At the same time, the information regarding the list of targets hit, vessels and the extent of the damage contained in the Ukrainian General Staff’s reports should be regarded as a statement by the Ukrainian side, as the assessment of the damage is still ongoing.
Attacks on facilities involved in oil refining and transportation may form part of the measures announced by the Defence Forces to reduce the logistical capabilities of Russian troops. However, there is currently no confirmed information regarding the actual impact of this attack on the operations of these facilities or on shipping.
