‘Don’t drink tap water and keep windows closed’: Russian city is in emergency after refinery attack

Ukrainian drone attack causes fire at refinery in Russia Residents of the Russian port city of Tuapse were ordered not to drink tap water and schools remained closed on Thursday (29) as authorities grapple with the fallout from Ukraine’s third drone attack on its oil refinery this month. The area has been under a state of emergency since Tuesday, when the attack sparked a massive fire at the facility, halting production and releasing oil slicks into the waters off the Black Sea coast. ✅ Follow g1’s international news channel on WhatsApp Fire after attack on Tuapse oil refinery, Russia SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS The fire was extinguished on Thursday morning (28), according to the local governor, but Tuapse’s oil-splattered beaches, polluted air and waterways show how painful the consequences of Ukraine’s increasing attacks on Russian energy facilities can be. Emergency workers were dispatched Thursday to clear five newly discovered, oil-hit parts of the coast, the regional task force said. In total, they cleaned 12,600 cubic meters of contaminated material in Tuapse. Following the attack, consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor advised residents to limit time outdoors and keep windows closed due to high levels of benzene in the air. The local health authority said on Thursday that residents should consume only bottled water and avoid drinking from taps and natural sources as a precautionary measure. May bank holiday celebrations have also been cancelled. The measures have caused some residents to express concerns online and question authorities’ assurances that the situation is under control. “How about she comes to visit us and experience our fresh air?” one person commented Wednesday on a video by Rospotrebnadzor director Anna Popova, saying the situation in Tuapse posed no health risk. “Everything is safe and under control!” another person wrote in a post about the cancellation of all large-scale outdoor events. The attacks show Kiev’s plan to intensify pressure inside Russia in recent weeks, aiming to knock out oil refineries, depots and ports and cripple Moscow’s biggest source of funding for its war in Ukraine, as global prices rise due to the war in Iran. For its part, Ukraine says Russian forces have attacked Ukrainian energy facilities for many months, causing large numbers of casualties and disrupting power and heating supplies to many thousands of residents during the winter months.

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