A factory located in Russia, which was accused of manufacturing Iranian attack drones to be used against Ukraine, was targeted in an attack early Tuesday. Local authorities reported that at least 12 people were injured in the incident.
In a bold and audacious move, the third-largest oil refinery in Russia fell victim to an early-morning attack in Tatarstan. This attack, which occurred at a distance of at least 800 miles from the frontline in Ukraine, marks the furthest-reaching strike in Russia since the start of the war.
According to an unnamed source in Ukraine’s military, the attack in Yelabuga, Russia, was allegedly carried out by military intelligence using drones that resemble light aircraft. If confirmed, this would be one of Ukraine’s most significant drone strikes. A video clip capturing the attack shows a small airplane-like object crashing into a building, causing panic among onlookers and resulting in flames engulfing the structure.
Authorities in Tatarstan have reported that the building affected in the attack was a dormitory that housed students and local workers. They have also revealed that two of the injured individuals were only 17 years old. However, a source from Ukrainian intelligence has contradicted this statement, claiming that the targeted facility was actually a factory involved in the assembly of Iranian-made Shahed drones.
According to an anonymous Ukrainian intelligence source, Tatneft’s Taneco refinery was targeted in the attack. The intent behind this action was to disrupt Russia’s oil revenue, as reported by Reuters. Despite this, Russian authorities have downplayed the impact of the drone attack, stating that production at the Taneco refinery remained unaffected.
In a statement on Telegram, Tatarstan’s leader Rustam Minnikhanov reassured that the facility in Yelabuga had not suffered any significant damage.
Minnikhanov emphasized the utmost importance of maintaining composure and not succumbing to the panic that the perpetrators of this crime are intentionally trying to instigate.
