By John Q. Hosedrinker 
On the night of August 13-14, the Russian city of Volgograd was targeted in a drone attack, with explosions and subsequent fires reported at the LUKOIL-Volgogradneftepererabotka oil refinery. Multiple Russian sources confirmed the large-scale assault, which caused fires and an oil spill at the refinery. As a result, the local airport was temporarily closed. This refinery, the largest producer of petroleum products in the region, has been attacked previously by Ukrainian drones.
Read the original article here
Drones attack Russia’s Volgograd: fires break out at refinery, and honestly, it’s hard not to feel a bit of, well, let’s call it schadenfreude when you hear about something like this. Seeing the news, it’s hard not to think “good news.” It’s the kind of news that makes you smile. You wake up and bam, there’s this story.
Drones attack Russia’s Volgograd: fires break out at refinery, and it immediately brings up the sheer scale of things. Honestly, it’s almost bewildering to think that after all the attacks, Russia still has targets like this to hit. It really hammers home the vastness of the country, both in terms of its geography and its industrial capacity. Thinking about it, you realize just how much infrastructure is out there.
Drones attack Russia’s Volgograd: fires break out at refinery, and it does feel a little… satisfying. It’s not a sentiment you’d express in polite company, maybe, but there’s a certain poetic justice in seeing a key piece of infrastructure go up in flames. You can’t help but hope they’re really feeling the heat, both literally and figuratively. “Another one bites the dust!” fits perfectly, doesn’t it?
Drones attack Russia’s Volgograd: fires break out at refinery, and of course, the historical context adds another layer. Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad, is a city steeped in history. Its name carries echoes of a brutal past, particularly during World War II, where it was the site of one of the most pivotal battles in history. It’s a city that’s seen immense destruction before, which brings up the idea of “the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire!” It makes you realize just how much these places have endured.
Drones attack Russia’s Volgograd: fires break out at refinery, and it’s important to recognize that even with drone strikes, these things get repaired. That’s why these attacks, it seems, need to be repeated. They aren’t single-event victories, but rather a constant chipping away at the enemy’s capacity.
Drones attack Russia’s Volgograd: fires break out at refinery, and it brings to mind the discussions about sanctions that have been ongoing. The idea of keeping sanctions in place even after the war’s end makes sense. It is a way to ensure that rebuilding is a long and arduous process. This type of action is about the financial and infrastructural cost that they will need to bear.
Drones attack Russia’s Volgograd: fires break out at refinery, and the sheer size of Russia really hits you. It’s something that’s hard to fully grasp. Maps, in a way, don’t do justice to how massive Russia really is. You can look at a map and see the borders, but you can’t feel the emptiness or the expanse.
Drones attack Russia’s Volgograd: fires break out at refinery, and in thinking about the size of things, it’s striking how we often underestimate the populations of even places like Ukraine. Before this conflict, many likely wouldn’t have guessed just how many people called it home. The war has brought these realities into sharp focus. It’s made people aware of things on a much larger scale than they realized.
Drones attack Russia’s Volgograd: fires break out at refinery, and you can’t help but be drawn into the geopolitical picture, even on a basic level. The focus on Russia in the news means other parts of the world, like Africa, may not always get the same amount of attention. The size of Africa is something you often hear being discussed. In a way, it’s like Russia’s size is overemphasized on maps, while Africa’s is underplayed. It is easy to see why.
Drones attack Russia’s Volgograd: fires break out at refinery, and at the end of the day, it’s a conflict with very real consequences. While there’s a sense of satisfaction when you hear of strategic targets being hit, it’s a stark reminder of the ongoing war. The fires at the refinery are just one piece of a larger, very difficult story. The news isn’t just a series of events, but something connected to much bigger, and very human, stories.