UPDATE - Russia says oil refinery in Ryazan region hit by drone strike

ADDS MORE DETAILS, CHANGES DECK; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia said on Wednesday that an oil refinery in the country's Ryazan region was hit by a drone strike, a day after it said Ukrainian attacks hit similar facilities in the Oryol and Nizhny Novgorod regions.

“The Ryazan oil refinery was attacked by a UAV. The impact started a fire. According to preliminary information, there are casualties,” Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov said in a statement on Telegram.

Meanwhile, in the Leningrad region, a drone was shot down while approaching the KINEF oil refinery base in the town of Kirishi, Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko said.

A separate statement by Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev said a drone fell on the grounds of Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery, adding that the operations of the facility were halted.

The Defense Ministry said Ukraine launched attacks by using multiple aircraft-type drones over the territories of Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, Leningrad and Ryazan, many of which were downed.

Russian authorities on Tuesday said two of its fuel facilities were hit in mass Ukrainian airstrikes that also affected other regions, including the capital Moscow.