Russia Destroys 3 Ukrainian Drones Targeting Oil Refinery

Russia said it destroyed three drones targeting an oil refinery in the southern border region of Bryansk on Saturday, June 17, 2023.

Ukraine attempted to carry out a retaliatory strike against Russian troops.

"Russian air defense systems repelled an overnight attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on the 'Druzhba' oil refinery in the Novozybkov district," Bryansk governor Alexander Bogomaz said. 

"Thanks to the professionalism of our military, three drones were destroyed." He did not mention the damage caused by the Ukrainian drone strike. 

Drone attacks have multiplied in recent months. Russia and Ukraine both claim to repel the drone attacks several times a week.

On Russian soil, oil facilities are priority targets for drone strikes. Russia's annexed Crimean peninsula, which Kyiv has repeatedly said it would take back, has also been a frequent target.

Russian troops have downed nine drones over the peninsula, according to Moscow's sworn-in governor, Sergei Aksyonov, on Thursday.

Last week, a drone hit a residential building in the southern Russian city of Voronezh and injured two people.

This is the first report of drones in Voronezh, a city of about 1 million people that lies farther afield in Russia than the border areas that are usually targeted by Ukrainian attacks.