Russian oil refinery near Ukraine says it was hit by drone attack

A drone attack has hit a major Russian oil refinery near the border with Ukraine, the plant's management said, sending a ball of flame and black smoke billowing into the sky and prompting the suspension of operations. Officials at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia's Rostov region said the first drone attacked at 8:40am (05:40GMT), hitting a crude distillation unit, triggering a blast and ball of fire. The second attack, at 9:23am, targeted crude oil reservoirs at the refinery, the largest supplier of oil products in southern Russia, but caused no fire, according to plant management. No one was reported injured. Russian regions bordering Ukraine have reported attacks and shelling after Moscow sent its troops into its neighbour on February 24 for what it still calls a "special military operation".