United News of Bangladesh

Ukraine has struck two oil refineries in Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday. In a social media post, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s Defence Forces targeted the Slavneft-Yanos refinery in Yaroslavl and the Bashneft-Novoil refinery in Russia’s Bashkortostan region. Earlier, reports said thick black smoke was seen rising from the area of the Yaroslavl refinery following Ukrainian drone attacks. Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Evraev said Ukrainian drones targeting the region had been destroyed, but falling debris set three houses on fire. Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian forces attacked two Russian military patrol boats and vessels linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet in the Black Sea. Source: BBC

Germany is taking control of three Russian-owned refineries in the country to ensure energy security before an embargo on oil from Russia takes effect next year, officials said Friday. The Economy Ministry said in a statement that Rosneft Deutschland GmbH and RN Refining & Marketing GmbH will be put under the administration of Germany’s Federal Network Agency. As a result, the agency will also control the companies’ shares in three refineries: PCK Schwedt, MiRo and Bayernoil, located in the east and south of the country. Rosneft accounts for about 12% of Germany’s oil refining capacity, importing several hundred million euros' (dollars') worth of oil from Russia every month, the ministry said. It said the move would help ensure continued energy supplies and was initially due to last for six months. Rosneft had previously made clear it had no intention to end the import of Russian oil, despite a looming EU embargo coming into force on Jan 1, 2023. The ministry said a long-term plan will also be announced for the future of the PCK refinery in Schwedt, which employs about 12,000 people and provides petroleum products to much of northeastern Germany including Berlin.