Russia responds to the heaviest US sanctions

Russia's Foreign Ministry has responded to the latest US sanctions, while Ukraine confirmed that a major Russian oil refinery was attacked.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on January 11 that the US government's decision to impose restrictions on the Russian energy sector in general and on a number of major companies and officials of the Russian Energy Ministry "is an attempt to cause at least some damage to the Russian economy even at the cost of destabilizing global markets before the end of President Joe Biden's unpopular term," according to TASS news agency.

This image from a video posted on May 4, 2023 shows firefighters extinguishing a fire at an oil refinery in the Ilsky settlement in Russia's Krasnodar region.

"Of course, Washington's hostile actions will not be overlooked and will be taken into account in the calculation of our foreign economic strategy. We will continue to implement major projects on oil and gas extraction, as well as import substitution, provision of oil-related services and construction of nuclear power plants in third countries," the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed in a statement.

The Russian Foreign Ministry asserted that Russia remains a key and reliable player in the global fuel market, "despite the turmoil in the White House and the machinations of the anti-Russian lobby in the West."

There is no information yet on the US response to Russia's statement. The US Treasury Department on January 10 imposed sanctions on Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, two Russian oil exploration, production and sales companies, and 183 ships that transported oil supplied by Russia, according to Reuters.

Ukraine attacks major oil refinery in Russia?

The Kyiv Independent news site on January 11 quoted information from the Telegram ASTRA channel that a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacked the Taneko oil refinery in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. This is one of Russia's largest oil processing facilities, located in the city of Nizhnekamsk, about 1,300 km from the Russia-Ukraine border.

Workers at the Taneko refinery were evacuated during the attack and some images showed smoke rising from the site, according to The Kyiv Independent .

Also according to The Kyiv Independent , Mr. Andrii Kovalenko, Director of the Center for Countering Disinformation of Ukraine, confirmed the attack and emphasized the strategic importance of attacking the oil refinery in Russia.

"The refinery plays an important role in supplying fuel to the Russian army. The destruction of refineries and oil storage facilities directly affects Russia's ability to wage a serious conflict," Kovalenko said.

The Taneko refinery, which has the capacity to process more than 16 million tons of oil per year, was targeted in a UAV attack in the spring of 2024, causing damage to the plant's main processing unit.

There is currently no information about Russia's reaction to the above information.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nga-phan-phao-lenh-cam-van-nang-ne-nhat-cua-my-185250112100012687.htm