Ukrainian media, citing sources in Kyiv’s HUR military intelligence agency, reported that Ukraine attacked a Shahed-type drone production factory in Yelabuga.
HUR employees, granted anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly, told POLITICO that they “can neither confirm nor deny that Ukrainian drones attacked a drone production factory and an oil refinery deep in Russian territory.”
While the HUR was behind the attack on Yelabuga, the strike on the oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk was a joint operation of HUR and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) a Ukrainian law enforcement official familiar with the matter who was granted anonymity to speak freely told POLITICO.
A Ukrainian long-range drone hit the primary oil processing facility at the Nizhnekamsk refinery, after which a fire broke out there. It is one of Russia’s largest refineries.
“We continue to work systematically to ensure that Russia has fewer and fewer opportunities to finance the war of aggression against Ukraine. We will continue to cut off oxygen to the gas station country to minimize the flow of petrodollars to the military budget of the Russian Federation,” the official said.
In July 2023 AP reported that Iran was helping Russia to build a drone factory in Yelabuga, citing U.S. intelligence data released by the White House. Russia uses home-produced Shahed-type drones it calls “Geran” to attack Ukrainian energy and civilian infrastructure almost daily.
While Minnikhanov said the attacks on the production facilities brought no serious damage, the technological process of the enterprises was not disturbed and only six people were injured, Russian media and Telegram channels reported that a drone hit the Taneko oil refinery complex in Nizhnekamsk, posting photos of the blast at one of the oil rigs.