According to the reports on Thursday (19 December), Ukraine launched a significant strike against Russian territory, firing at least 13 missiles and 84 drones. The attack targeted the southern Rostov region, triggering a fire at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery, which burned for several hours. Russian officials reported that their air defenses managed to shoot down 84 drones, including 36 over Rostov. Despite the interception, the attack resulted in at least one person being injured, and the fire was eventually extinguished early the next day.
The focus of the attack on the oil refinery highlights Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to target Russia’s oil infrastructure. These strikes are aimed at weakening the Russian war economy, which relies heavily on its oil exports. Since the start of the war, Ukraine has repeatedly targeted oil facilities as part of its broader strategy to disrupt Russia’s military and economic capabilities.
The missile attack comes amidst a broader escalation in hostilities, with Russia advancing at its fastest pace since the beginning of the war in 2022. Ukraine has used various types of advanced weapons in these strikes, including U.S.-made ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadow missiles, which were used in earlier strikes on Russian military airfields. These actions have drawn strong responses from Russia, including retaliatory missile launches against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
In the aftermath of this attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the launch of new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missiles, such as the “Oreshnik” or Hazel Tree missile, on November 21. These missile exchanges reflect the increasing intensity of the conflict, with both sides deploying advanced weaponry in a bid to weaken each other’s military and strategic assets. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s strikes on Russian chemical plants, such as the Kamensky chemical plant, are focused on disrupting critical production for missile and rocket fuel.
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