The Ukrainian defensive forces landed a decisive attack within Russian territory this week using a kamikaze drone.
The attack happened at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the Rostov region which borders Ukraine. Within moments of the attack the entire refinery went up in a massive fireball.
The drone strike was filmed by Russian workers at the plant. Initially in the video the workers can be heard in the background laughing at the drone and joking about it. They seem to be unaware that the low-flying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) poses any real threat to them.
As the drone draws closer, however, they begin to panic, ordering everyone to evacuate the area. Then, within moments, the massive fire consumes the refinery as black smoke billows out of the wreckage.
One worker said, “It came from the Ukrainian side, didn’t it?”
Another responded, “Yes, yes.”
One asks, “Do we stop work?”
Before one of the Russians finally declares, “The plant is on fire. F***ing run away!”
The refinery is no small loss for the Russian military, as it serves a significant strategic purpose for their military assault on Ukraine and is the largest oil supplier to Southern Russia.
The Novoshakhtinsk refinery is owned by the Research and Design Institute of Oil and Gas Peton and previously belonged to offshore companies linked to Viktor Medvedchuk, one of Putin’s closest allies who has been detained by Ukrainian authorities.
Russian media did acknowledge the explosion while adding there were no casualties in the attack.
Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine was only expected to last 2 weeks. It has drawn on for months now, with heavy losses experienced by both sides. Do you think there is any chance of him giving up? Is it possible for the 2 to negotiate at this point?
