(Reuters) - A fire that broke out in early hours of Sunday at the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region was promptly extinguished, the region's emergency security authorities said after social media reports of powerful blasts shaking the refinery.
Baza and Shot, two Russian news outlets with good security sources, said that the fire at the refinery, which lies 50 miles (80 km) east of the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, one of Russia's most important oil export gateways, was caused by a drone attack.
Earlier, Russia's defence ministry, without providing much detail, said that its air defence systems destroyed 36 Ukraine-launched drones over the Black Sea and the northwestern part of the Crimean Peninsula.
The Afipsky plant, which was last attacked in May, can process around 6 million tonnes (44 million barrels) of oil each year.
The port of Novorossiisk, together with the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal, bring about 1.5% of global oil to market.
Persons:
Lidia Kelly, William Mallard, Raju Gopalakrishnan
Organizations:
Reuters, Caspian Pipeline Consortium
Locations:
Russia's Krasnodar, Krasnodar, Novorossiisk, Ukraine, Crimean, Kyiv, Crimea, Moscow, Russia, Melbourne