‘Ukraine drone’ strike hits oil refinery just 80 miles from Putin’s palace

Russia has suffered a major explosion at an oil refinery in a suspected drone or sabotage attack, just 80 miles from Vladimir Putin’s Black Sea palace.

The blast came as yet another Russian general was killed in Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine, this time in a missile strike.

The double blow to Putin came as Ukraine stepped up its counter-offensive, with Kiev’s troops claiming to have liberated at least four frontline villages – amid reports of Russian troops being killed as they flee through their own minefields.

Meanwhile, Russia launched an overnight “massive missile” attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killing at least three people and injuring 25 and damaging civilian infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said early Tuesday.

Video emerged this morning from the Krasnodar oil refinery showing flames and thick, noxious black smoke billowing from the facility after the attack.

The city of Krasnodar is the capital of a region of the same name connected to annexed Crimea across the Kerch Strait.

Putin’s £1 billion clifftop palace and Gelendzhik – with an underground bunker, pole-dancing boudoir and vineyard – is less than 80 miles away from the blast.

The city is an important link in Putin’s war effort and a supply hub for occupied Crimea.

The fire was at the Krasnodar oil refinery, in a diesel processing facility, local Kuban News said. More than 130 firefighters attended the scene.

Attacks within Russia’s borders have become more frequent in recent months. It is believed that Ukraine, or pro-Ukrainian groups, are using drones to attack key infrastructure such as oil refineries or military bases.

Responsibility for the attack in Krasnodar was initially not claimed. The city is about 200 miles away from the front lines in Ukraine.

The Krasnodar region also suffered a radio hack this week by the anti-Putin party organization Freedom of Russia Legion.

The message threatened to destroy Putin’s “war criminals” in Crimea, but would pose no threat to the civilian population.

The attack came as Major General Sergey Goryachev, 52, was killed in a rocket attack in the Zaporizhzhia region – adding to Putin’s war woes.

He was chief of staff of Russia’s 35th Combined Arms Army and is one of at least 11 generals reportedly killed in the war – the first this year.

His death was revealed after Putin presented medals to wounded soldiers at a Moscow hospital, accompanied by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

In personally presenting their medals, he acknowledged the heavy toll Russia suffered in the war.

Earlier, the Russian leader had attended a champagne reception at the Kremlin during a state ceremony.

The general’s death was revealed through pro-war military channels who admitted that Russian forces were under pressure from Ukraine’s counter-offensive.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented, as is normal with high-ranking deaths among its armed forces.

“War takes the best,” reported war correspondent Yuri Kotenok.

“As a result of an enemy missile attack, Major General Sergey Goryachev, Chief of Staff of the 35th Combined Arms Army, was killed,” Kotenok said.

“The military today lost one of its brightest and most effective military leaders, who combined the highest professionalism with personal courage. Combat buddies extend their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.”

Gorbachev had been promoted to general during the war.

Kotenok said Russian troops faced “heavy fighting” on “almost the whole line of military contact.” He admitted: “The situation is difficult in the defensive zone of the 60th and 37th motorized rifle brigades.”

News of Goryachev’s death came as Russia launched a “massive” missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih overnight.

Three people were killed and 32 injured in a Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih early Tuesday, the regional governor said, as airstrikes were reported in Kiev and other cities.

“A five-story building has been destroyed. According to initial reports, three of the residents have died. 25 people were injured,” Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, told Telegram. “There are still people under the rubble.”

Photos from the crime scene showed rescue crews working at the building, an image that has become all too common in the 15 months of war.

Survivors were seen wrapped in blankets and watched in disbelief.

Seven other people were injured in attacks at two other locations, he added.

Lysak said three cruise missiles were shot down, but others got through.

The Ukrainian capital and the northeastern city of Kharkiv were also attacked with rockets and drones.

“According to initial reports, the enemy used Kh-101/555 cruise missiles,” the Kyiv city military administration said.

“All enemy targets in the airspace around Kiev were detected and successfully destroyed by the air defense forces and assets,” it said, adding that there was no immediate information on any casualties or damage.

In Kharkiv, civilian infrastructure was hit by a drone attack, the city’s mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

“According to initial reports, a utility company in Kyivskyi district and a warehouse in Saltivskyi district have been damaged. A fire broke out as a result of the explosion on the latter,” he said.

Air warnings were also issued in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and the neighboring regions of Donetsk and Poltava.

The new wave of airstrikes came after Ukraine claimed to have recaptured several villages and made progress in its counter-offensive against Russian forces.

“The battle is tough, but we are moving forward, this is very important,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his daily evening address on Monday.