Ukrainian long-range drones struck the Kaleikino oil pumping station in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan on the night of February 22-23, causing a fire in one of the most important supply nodes of the Druzhba oil pipeline system.
The facility, located near Almetyevsk, is more than 1,200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
The Kaleikino station supplies crude to the Druzhba pipeline, a critical energy artery that supplies Russian oil to Eastern and Central Europe, including Hungary and Slovakia.
Sources cited by RBC-Ukraine said that drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) struck the main oil pumping station in Kaleikino, near Almetyevsk.
Witnesses reported hearing six explosions, followed by a large fire. Oil storage tanks located on the station premises caught fire.
Russian emergency services vehicles were dispatched to the scene. Images circulating online showed flames and smoke rising from the industrial area.
Video credits: Le Soleil/YouTube
Local authorities in Almetyevsk later said Russian air defenses intercepted several drones over the district and that falling debris caused a fire in an industrial zone. Authorities have not directly confirmed damage to the Druzhba pipeline infrastructure.
The Kaleikino oil pumping station is owned by Transneft-Prikamye JSC, a regional division of Russian state-owned pipeline operator Transneft. It serves as the main focal point for crude oil from Western Siberia and the Volga region.
On this hub:
- Oil from several producing regions is collected.
- The crude is blended and prepared for export.
- Supplies are directed to the main westbound pipeline feeding the Druzhba system.
The Druzhba pipeline, one of the longest pipeline networks in the world, transports Russian crude to refineries in Central and Eastern Europe. Hungary and Slovakia remain among the largest European recipients of Russian oil via this route.
Oil flows through Druzhba were cut off on January 27, after kyiv said a Russian drone strike had damaged pipeline equipment in western Ukraine. However, Hungarian and Slovak leaders claimed the pipeline could work and accused kyiv of refusing the transit for political reasons.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán reportedly called the outage an act undermining Hungary's energy security. Hungary announced it would veto the 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia and block a major EU loan to Ukraine unless oil supplies resume.
Hungary and Slovakia have also warned that they could suspend their electricity exports to Ukraine. Electricity imports from these two countries account for around 70% of Ukraine's imported electricity, while around half of Ukraine's domestic generating capacity was damaged or destroyed during the war.
References: newsukraine, ukrainetoday
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