Ukraine Drone Strike Torches Russian Refinery, 50 Blasts Rock Black Sea Oil Hub

A series of explosions rocked the Grushovaya oil storage facility near Novorossiysk, Russia’s main oil export hub on the Black Sea. Witnesses reported about 50 blasts before a massive fire erupted, destroying crude oil that was destined for tanker loading [168218]. The depot is connected to the port’s loading berths by pipelines stretching roughly 12 kilometers through tunnels under a nearby mountain ridge [168218].

In a separate overnight attack, Ukrainian drones struck a key Rosneft refinery in Ryazan, setting fire to vacuum distillation units at the plant that supplies gasoline, diesel, and jet kerosene to the Moscow region [149502]. Another drone attack hit an oil refinery in the Russian city of Syzran, setting a processing unit on fire that supplies fuel to Russia’s armed forces [154166].

The strikes come as fuel prices rise globally. The national average price for a gallon of gasoline has reached $4.50, an increase of more than $1.50 since the start of the war with Iran [153031]. In Benin, long lines are forming at fuel stations as motorists struggle with rising global oil prices and new government fuel rates that took effect at the start of May [143554]. India has ordered suppliers to regulate commercial cooking gas and prioritize key sectors like hospitals and households, following global energy market disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict [91725].

Meanwhile, the Israeli military is using artificial intelligence technology from the American data company Palantir to plan its strikes in Gaza and Lebanon, according to public reports [97612]. The technology processes vast amounts of data to find patterns and support targeting decisions, raising legal and ethical questions about private companies in military conflicts [97612].