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Russia says drone sparked fire at oil refinery

Russian officials report fires at two oil refineries a day after launching a series of drone attacks against Kyiv. Photo by National Police Forces of Ukraine/Facebook
1 of 3 | Russian officials report fires at two oil refineries a day after launching a series of drone attacks against Kyiv. Photo by National Police Forces of Ukraine/Facebook

May 31 (UPI) -- Russia on Wednesday said that Ukrainian drones targeted a pair of oil refineries on Wednesday, a day after the two sides exchanged strikes.

The governor of Russia's Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratyev, said a fire that broke out at the Afipsky oil refinery, was probably caused by a Ukrainian drone.

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The Krasnodar region also reported a drone attack against the llsky refinery, saying the drone crashed and did not cause any damage or fire.

Separately, Russian media reports a drone attack against the Ilsky refinery, which is also located in the Krasnodar region.

The Ukrainian government denied involvement in the attacks but Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said "we are pleased to watch and predict an increase in the number of attacks."

On Tuesday, Russian officials reported damage to buildings in Moscow, but no fatalities whole a 33-year-old woman was killed in Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials, after the two sides exchanged drone strikes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed Ukraine for the drone attacks in Moscow and said Kyiv was trying "to intimidate Russia."

The nation's Foreign Ministry said "Russia reserves the right to take the harshest possible measures in response to the terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime."

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"Assurances by NATO officials that the Kyiv regime will not launch strikes deep into Russian territory prove to be completely hypocritical," the ministry said.

The British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said Ukraine "has the right to project force beyond its borders to undermine Russia's ability to project force into Ukraine itself."

Former Russian President and current Russian Security Council Deputy Chair, Dmitry Medvedev threatened British officials in response to Cleverly's statement.

"The goofy officials of the U.K., our eternal enemy, should remember that within the framework of the universally accepted international law which regulates modern warfare, their state can be qualified as being at war," Medvedev tweeted Wednesday.

"Today, the U.K. acts as Ukraine's ally providing it with military aid in the form of equipment and specialists, i.e. leading an undeclared war against Russia. That being the case, any of its public officials (either military, or civil, who facilitate the war) can be considered as a legitimate target," Medvedev continued.

Russia has been hostile toward recent British arms deliveries to Ukraine, which include Storm Shadow cruise missiles and Challenger 2 tanks.

Additionally, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his government is cooperating with the British weapons manufacturer BAE Systems, to establish a base to build and repair weapons.

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"We are working on establishing a suitable base in Ukraine for production and repair. This encompasses a wide range of weaponry, from tanks to artillery," said Zelensky.

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