Ukrainian forces have reportedly launched a massive attack as “explosions” rocked multiple energy sites across Russia overnight including Russia’s Volgograd oil refinery.
Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed the successful strikes on Thursday writing on Facebook, “the annual refining capacity of this plant is 15.7 million tons (5.6% of all refining in Russia).”
“Explosions and fire were recorded in the area of the target,” they added, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Russian residents posed photos and videos on social media and scenes of large-scale flashes were seen lighting up the night sky in the direction of Russia’s Volgograd oil refinery.
Read more related news:
Russia to ‘prepare for full-scale nuclear tests’
Volgograd Oblast government Andrey Bocharov said one person was killed, he wrote on Telegram, “A civilian, a 48-year-old man, died as a result of shrapnel from the shelling.”
The refinery is operated by Lukoil and is around 300 miles from the front line, the Volgograd refinery supplies fuel for the Russian military.
Last month the US President finally sanctioned two of Russia’s largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft in an attempt to pile more pressure on Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire.
This is the first set of sanctions the US President has imposed on Moscow since Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire.
“Given (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine.
The deputy chair of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev has vowed that Russia’s path is to totally destroy Ukraine.
Medvedev said, “If any of the numerous commentators still had any illusions, here they are.
“The United States is our adversary, and their talkative ‘peacemaker’ has now fully embarked on the warpath against Russia.
“Yes, he doesn’t always actively fight on the side of Bandera’s Kyiv, but this is his conflict now, not the senile Biden’s!
“They will, of course, say he couldn’t help but be pressured in Congress, etc. This doesn’t change the main point: the decisions taken are an act of war against Russia. And now Trump has fully aligned himself with insane Europe.”
