The fire affected an area of 50 square meters, there was no threat of expansion, and no casualties were reported, the source told the TASS news agency.

“Before the fire, the plant’s employees observed a Ukrainian drone. It crashed into the structures of the refinery, after which an explosion and fire broke out,” it said.

However, other statements reported that two Ukrainian drones flew over the territory of the plant on Wednesday, one hit the heat exchanger and the other flew away.

Novoshakhtinsk, 100 kilometers from Rostov-on-Don, covers an area of 300 hectares and is the only oil refinery in the region. It produces and refines gasoline, fuel oil, diesel fuel and heavy oil.

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