Putin says strikes on energy facilities in Tuapse could cause serious environmental consequences

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that drone strikes on energy facilities in Russia’s port city of Tuapse could cause serious environmental consequences, and that “strikes against civilian infrastructure are becoming increasingly common.”

Citing the regional governor, Putin, however, said that “it seems there are no serious threats; people are dealing with the challenges they face on the ground,” the Kremlin reported.

A regional state of emergency was declared in the Russian port city of Tuapse after a drone attack caused a massive fire at an oil refinery near the Black Sea.

The Krasnodar regional operational headquarters said on Telegram that 220 people are working to extinguish the fire at the facility, with 50 pieces of equipment deployed.

“There are 31 people at the evacuation point, including nine children," it said in the statement. "If the situation requires it, residents of houses located near the oil refinery will be accommodated in a hotel.”

The strike is the latest in a series of drone strikes targeting the oil refinery and Tuapse, located on the Black Sea coast, in recent weeks.

Last week, the Krasnodar region’s operational headquarters detected an oil spill caused by an April 16 drone attack.

Ukraine’s General Staff has regularly announced conducting strikes targeting the Tuapse oil refinery, including on April 16, and most recently Monday.

Regarding Tuesday’s attack, the General Staff said it carried out a second strike on the Tuapse oil refinery "as part of reducing the military-economic potential" of Russia.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed air defenses shot down 186 Ukrainian drones in five regions, including Krasnodar, as well as the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014.