Ukraine experienced a devastating fire at Kremenchuk oil refinery due to a drone strike, triggering retaliation and heightened tensions between Ukraine and Russia. This incident underscores the escalating role of drones in modern conflicts, raising international concerns.
In a tragic turn of events, Ukraine witnessed a devastating fire at an oil refinery, the result of a drone strike. At the same time, Ukraine retaliated against Russia. As a result, Russia took defensive measures by downing four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The incident has sparked international concern and discussion about the growing role of drones in modern conflicts.
Russia carried out an overnight drone attack on the Kremenchuk oil refinery in Ukraine’s central Poltava region, resulting in a fire, as reported by Governor Dmytro Lunin on Wednesday.
Governor Lunin conveyed on the Telegram messaging app that refinery operations have been temporarily halted, with no information available regarding any casualties.
You Can Also Read: UKRAINE’S BIGGEST ATTACK ON RUSSIAN NAVY’S BLACK SEA FLEET
He stated, “Last night, Poltava region was subject to multiple attacks by Russian forces. Our air defense system effectively intercepted the enemy’s unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).”
Ukraine is attacked at night
On the night of September 19, Russian aggressors initiated the deployment of multiple squadrons of kamikaze drones on Ukrainian soil. These launches had their point of origin in the Kursk and Belgorod regions of Russia.
The Ukrainian Air Force issued a cautionary statement, alerting that hostile UAVs might alter their flight paths. Consequently, air raid alerts were activated in numerous Ukrainian regions. Subsequently, there were accounts of explosions in the Poltava region.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces disclosed that the adversary had launched a total of 24 Shahed drones, with 17 of them successfully neutralized by air defense systems.
Since Moscow began its invasion last year, Russian aircraft have repeatedly raided the Kremenchuk refinery.
Ukraine responds to Russia’s actions
In the meantime, Russian authorities disclosed on Wednesday that their air defenses had successfully intercepted four Ukrainian drones.
These Ukrainian drones were brought down over the Russian Belgorod region, which shares a border with Ukraine, and the Oryol region, situated closer to Moscow, as confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defence. Local officials also confirmed that there was no damage or casualties resulting from the incident.
According to the ministry’s Telegram announcement, the drone-type aircraft were shot down between 9pm (18:00 GMT on Tuesday) and 11:45pm (20:45 GMT).
Additionally, there were suspicions of a drone involvement in a fire incident that occurred early Wednesday morning near an airport in the Russian Black Sea resort town of Sochi, which involved a large fuel storage tank.
Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of the Krasnodar region, stated that preliminary information suggested no casualties had occurred.
Kondratyev conveyed, “The incident is currently under investigation,” in a message posted on Telegram.
A Russian-language online news portal reported the possibility of a drone’s role in the fire that engulfed the 1,200 tons of fuel, pointing out that a loud explosion had preceded the fuel tank’s eruption in flames.
In recent months, Kyiv has intensified its drone and missile attacks deep inside Russia and Russian-controlled territories. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had pledged that his forces would extend the conflict in Ukraine into Russian territory.
Zelenskyy calls for global unity
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged world leaders to demonstrate unity in response to Russia’s ongoing “aggression” in Ukraine during his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He stated that Moscow is “weaponizing” food and energy resources.
Delivering his speech from the UN headquarters in New York, Zelenskyy, for the first time since the conflict erupted last year, characterized the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a global existential threat comparable to nuclear weapons.
He emphasized the necessity of collective action to thwart the aggressor and channel all available resources and efforts towards addressing these challenges, stating, “Our unity is essential to ensure that such aggression does not occur again.”
Zelenskyy criticized Moscow for what he described as an “attempt to exploit a food shortage on the global market in exchange for the recognition of some, if not all, of the captured territories.”
Furthermore, he accused Russia of engaging in the abduction of Ukrainian children, which he deemed as genocide, and disclosed that Kyiv was actively working on organizing a global peace summit.
The conflict in Ukraine has taken center stage during the initial day of the high-level UN General Debate, with numerous world leaders reaffirming their commitment to supporting Kyiv in this widely observed event on the UN’s annual calendar.
The United States and its allies have supplied billions of dollars in humanitarian and security assistance to Ukraine since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
Mike Hanna of Al Jazeera, reporting from the UN on Tuesday afternoon, noted that Zelenskyy used his UNGA address to emphasize Ukraine’s need for support. However, Hanna suggested that the speech was unlikely to alter the perspectives of nations that have maintained a neutral stance. He also mentioned that some members of the Global South have expressed discontent with the amount of attention the UN allocates to the Ukraine issue, believing it comes at the expense of addressing the specific problems faced by the Global South.
Zelenskyy is scheduled to speak at a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Wednesday, where he may find himself at the same table as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Ukraine experienced a devastating fire at Kremenchuk oil refinery due to a drone strike, triggering retaliation and heightened tensions between Ukraine and Russia. This incident underscores the escalating role of drones in modern conflicts, raising international concerns. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s impassioned appeal at the United Nations for global unity against Russian aggression highlights the urgency of addressing the crisis, emphasizing the need for collective action to prevent further aggression and bring peace to the region. However, the complexity of the situation, with some nations maintaining neutrality and concerns about global priorities, underscores the challenges ahead in resolving this crisis.
