(NIZHNEKAMSK, TATARSTAN) – Ukrainian drones have attacked the Nizhnekamsk oil refinery in Tatarstan, with footage showing a Russian Pantsir air defence system failing to intercept an incoming drone.
The facility, also known as Taneco, was already burning when the latest strike arrived. Smoke can be seen rising from behind the main towers in video footage of the attack. The drone visible in the footage appears to miss the tower it was aiming at, though it may have struck connecting pipelines and caused additional damage.
The most notable element of the footage is the failed interception attempt by a Russian Pantsir short range air defence system. The missile fired at the drone detonated at a distance, failing to bring down the target.
Analysts have offered several explanations for the miss. The missile may have been programmed to detonate above the target, but the fragmentation rounds did not reach the drone due to its slow speed. Alternatively, the proximity detector may have failed when the missile was close to the drone, causing it to detonate further away than intended.
The refinery has been struck several times before. It has a capacity of 8.7 million tons per year, making it one of Russia’s midsized oil refineries.
The strike originated more than 1,000 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, demonstrating the extended range of Ukraine’s drone operations.
Footage of the attack and the failed interception was released by the Suchomimus channel, which monitors Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure.
Be First to Comment