RUSSIA REELING

Putin Humiliated With Explosive Double Blow

Ukraine hit a major oil refinery and logistics hub, adding to Russia’s woes.

Ukraine has inflicted a dual strike on Vladimir Putin’s Russia, hitting an oil refinery and logistics center within hours using long-range drones.

Reports said the attacks struck Russia’s third-largest oil refinery and a Wildberries logistics hub in the western Ryazan region, setting both ablaze.

Wildberries processes almost a million orders a day and has been described as a Russian version of Amazon.

“Fires broke out at industrial facilities in Ryazan. Power lines were damaged, causing electricity disruptions in parts of the city,” regional Governor Pavel Malkov said.

Pictures posted on social media showed large fires at the Ryazan refinery, which can process 17 million metric tons of crude oil a year. Russian independent media outlet Astra said pictures also showed fires at the Wilberries hub, which covers 173,000 square meters.

Malkov said one person was injured in the strikes, and falling drone debris also caused damage.

It’s the latest in a wave of Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure that are causing mounting military and domestic woes for the Kremlin.

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Earlier in the week, Ukraine said the success of its operation means Russia is being forced to use substandard imported jet fuel for its military planes, causing one to blow up.

On the frontline in Ukraine, the attacks are hampering Russia’s campaign, which has failed to make significant advances for months amid fuel shortages and heavy manpower losses.

And Russian civilians are also feeling the bite, with inflation spiking and long queues at gas stations throughout the country.

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Ukraine says it has knocked out half of Russia’s refining capacity this year. It’s launched more than 300 strikes, more than two dozen of which have hit refineries, using sophisticated long-range drones.

It’s forced Russia, the world’s third-largest oil producer, to start importing fuel from abroad and halt aviation fuel exports.

The Ryazan facility was also successfully hit on October 15, shutting down one of its processing hubs.

President Donald Trump, before the midterms, attempted to pin the blame on rising U.S. fuel prices caused by his war with Iran on Ukraine’s strikes, and pressured Kyiv to call them off.

Ukraine temporarily halted them but has since has launched a new series of attacks, successfully hitting refineries in Kstovo, Yaroslavl, and the Samara region this week alone.

Russia has responded with brutal missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets and infrastructure.

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Tom PorterBreaking News Reporter

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