Kursk region governor Roman Starovoit said a second drone struck the Mikhailovsky GOK iron ore plant owned by Metalloinvest, Russia's largest iron ore producer, about two hours after he announced the first attack.
In a statement after the first attack, Metalloinvest said: "Today, as a result of a drone attack in the Zheleznogorsky district, a fuel tank at the fuel and lubricant depot of the Mikhailovsky mining and processing plant caught fire."
The aftermath of two reported drone attacks at the Mikhailovsky plant, located about 90 km from the Ukrainian border. Photo: TMT
Russian officials and the plant owner said the attack caused a fire in the fuel tank area, there were no casualties and the plant remained operational after taking necessary measures to extinguish the fire.
Unverified video footage on Russian social media platforms showed flames and black smoke billowing from the plant, believed to be the site of the first attack. Starovoit said on social media that Russian air defenses were being deployed and urged residents to remain calm.
After the two attacks, a source from Ukraine's GUR military intelligence service claimed responsibility for the attack on the Mikhailovsky iron ore refinery.
Meanwhile, Mr. Starovoit blamed Kiev for the attacks on the plant in the Zheleznogorsky district of the Kursk region, famous for its iron mines and located about 90 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. He said the area was at high risk of being targeted by missile attacks.
Mikhailovsky GOK is one of the largest iron ore mining and processing facilities in Russia. Through open-pit mining, Mikhailovsky GOK is developing an iron ore deposit with reserves of up to 10.4 billion tons, according to Metalloinvest.
In recent weeks, Ukrainian drones have repeatedly attacked Russian oil refineries and other economic infrastructure, with the Kursk region being the scene of frequent attacks during the conflict.
Earlier in December, Mikhailovsky GOK was attacked by a Ukrainian drone, damaging power lines supplying part of the plant, Kursk governor Starovoit said.
Ngoc Anh (according to TASS, Reuters)
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