Russia downs dozens of drones amid oil refinery attack, say authorities

In a dramatic escalation of conflict, Russian forces claimed to have intercepted 113 Ukrainian drones targeting an oil refinery, leading to a fire.

Published on: Feb 19, 2026, 12:47:52 IST

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Russian officials said on Thursday their forces had destroyed 113 Ukrainian drones overnight, some of them having targeted an oil refinery in the northwest that resulted in a fire in a storage tank.

Russia has launched an attack on Ukrainian drones, authorities said.

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The sides finished two days of US-brokered talks in Geneva on Wednesday, trying to find a settlement to four years of war in Ukraine.

Both sides described the meeting as "difficult" and no breakthrough was announced.

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During the night from Wednesday to Thursday, Russian forces "intercepted and destroyed 113 Ukrainian drones", the defence ministry said in a statement.

One of the drone attacks targeted an oil refinery in Velikiye Luki around 500 kilometres (300 miles) west of Moscow, causing "a fire in an oil storage tank", regional governor Mikhail Vedernikov said in a statement.

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According to initial reports, the attack did not cause any injuries among civilians or refinery staff, he added.

Ukraine, itself targeted for the past four years by near-daily Russian bombardments, has been carrying out retaliatory strikes on oil refineries and Russian port and energy infrastructure.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.