Missiles hit Ukrainian refinery, 'critical infrastructure' near Odesa. Russian attacks have destroyed an refinery within the central Poltava region and struck "critical infrastructure", presumably oil facilities, near the port city of Odesa, local officials said on Sunday. Russian forces have attacked Odesa, the most base for Ukraine's navy, alongside other Ukrainian Black Sea ports like Mariupol and Mykolaiv. If taken, it'd give Russia a land corridor from Crimea to Transniestria, a Russian-speaking breakaway province of Moldova that hosts Russian troops. Oil facilities are attention of attacks. Kremenchuk, 250 km (150 miles) southeast of Kyiv along the Dnipro river, had Ukraine's only fully functioning petroleum refinery. Governor of the Poltava region, said on television that the refinery had been destroyed in an exceedingly rocket attack on Saturday. "The fire at the refinery has been extinguished but the power has been completely destroyed and may now not function," he said. Reuters couldn't independently confirm the refinery's destruction. The plant processed 3.2 MMt of oil last year and its loss could prove a blow to Ukraine's defense effort. Several rockets also hit Mykolaiv, an indoor ministry aide said. Earlier, Russia's defense ministry said its missiles had destroyed an petroleum refinery and three fuel storage facilities near Odesa. It said they'd been utilized by Ukraine to provide its troops near Mykolaiv. Vladyslav Nazarov, an official of Ukraine's Southern Operational Command, said on Telegram that there had been a missile attack on "critical infrastructure". Two columns of thick, black smoke may well be seen rising into a gray sky before spreading out over the town. "All relevant systems and structures are working - No casualties reported," Reuters couldn't confirm details of the attack. Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov said on television matters was "under control", adding: "Homes, civilian infrastructure, roofs have suffered damage." Vika, a neighborhood resident who declined to offer her surname, said her family had woken up to powerful explosions near their home. "There was smoke, the kids were in a very panic, the windows were blown in ... it had been terrifying," she said. Russia denies attacking civilians there forces invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what the Kremlin calls a "special military operation" to demilitarize and "denazify" its neighbor. Ukraine and therefore the Western countries supporting it reject that as a baseless pretext for a war of aggression.
