Video footage captured by residents of Kremenchuk, in the central Ukrainian province of Poltava, on the morning of 19/8, shows the moment a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile struck the local oil refinery. The attack caused a large explosion that lit up the night sky, followed by a fire that continued to burn into the day with no immediate signs of being under control.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that it had carried out a coordinated attack using long-range precision weapons and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) targeting an "oil refinery that supplies fuel to Ukrainian troops in the Donbass region". The ministry did not specify the location but confirmed the attack achieved its objectives.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force Command reported that Russia had launched a total of 270 Geran-2 suicide UAVs and decoy aircraft, along with 5 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 5 Kh-101 cruise missiles towards Ukraine. "Air defense units shot down or jammed 230 UAVs, along with 4 Kh-101 missiles and two Iskander-M missiles. 4 missiles and 40 UAVs hit 16 locations, with debris falling on three other sites," they stated.

Officials in Kremenchuk reported dozens of explosions that shook the city, damaging several administrative buildings at an energy facility in Poltava province. No casualties were reported.

Lost Armour, a Russia-based open-source intelligence analysis site, identified the target as the Kremenchuk oil refinery. This is the largest petroleum product production facility in Ukraine and has been targeted multiple times by Russia since the start of the conflict, sustaining significant damage.

Location of Kremenchuk. Graphics: RYV

This attack followed Ukrainian strikes on a Russian oil refinery in Volgograd province and a pumping station in Tambov province. Russian officials reported a fire at the Volgograd refinery, which was contained and extinguished after several hours. The attack on the Tambov pumping station disrupted oil transfer on the Druzhba pipeline, impacting Hungary, which imports Russian oil through this pipeline. Hungary criticized Ukraine for the attack.

Nguyen Tien (According to RIA Novosti, AFP, AP)