Russian Telegram channels stated that the drones targeted the Tuapse refinery shortly after 2 a.m. local time. Residents reported hearing explosions near the Rosneft facility, according to Echo of the Caucasus and NewsGeorgia.
The Tuapse refinery, one of Russia's largest and owned by state oil giant Rosneft, processes approximately 12 million tonnes of crude oil annually. The plant has been targeted by Ukrainian drones multiple times. Following a drone strike in January, the refinery halted production for at least three months.
Tuapse is situated on the Black Sea coast, about 250 km (155 miles) from Kerch in annexed Crimea and 350 km (217 miles) from occupied Mariupol in Ukraine's Donetsk region.
In Rostov Oblast, drones also struck a fuel base in the town of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, which supplies fuel to Russian armed forces. Acting Governor Yuri Slusar reported on Friday morning that over 100 firefighters were battling a blaze at the facility.
Russia's Defense Ministry said that overnight, its air defense systems shot down 47 Ukrainian drones over five regions of the country. The majority were intercepted over Rostov Oblast, where 29 drones were downed, and eight were shot down over Krasnodar Krai.
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Source: PAP, IAR, TVN24