Ukraine Says Russian Drones Hit Oil Refinery, Damage Railway Power Lines 

Firefighters work at an oil refinery which was hit during Russia's drone attacks in Kremenchuk, Poltava region, Ukraine November 1, 2023. (Head of the Poltava Regional Military Administration Filip Pronin/Handout via Reuters)
Firefighters work at an oil refinery which was hit during Russia's drone attacks in Kremenchuk, Poltava region, Ukraine November 1, 2023. (Head of the Poltava Regional Military Administration Filip Pronin/Handout via Reuters)
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Ukraine Says Russian Drones Hit Oil Refinery, Damage Railway Power Lines 

Firefighters work at an oil refinery which was hit during Russia's drone attacks in Kremenchuk, Poltava region, Ukraine November 1, 2023. (Head of the Poltava Regional Military Administration Filip Pronin/Handout via Reuters)
Firefighters work at an oil refinery which was hit during Russia's drone attacks in Kremenchuk, Poltava region, Ukraine November 1, 2023. (Head of the Poltava Regional Military Administration Filip Pronin/Handout via Reuters)

An overnight Russian drone attack hit and set ablaze the Kremenchuk oil refinery in central Ukraine on Wednesday and falling debris from drones that were shot down damaged railway power lines in a nearby region, officials said.

The fire at the refinery, which Moscow has targeted many times during the war and Kyiv says is not operational, was put out quickly, said Filip Pronin, head of Poltava region's military administration. The extent of the damage was not clear.

The Air Force said air defenses shot down 18 of 20 drones and a missile fired by Russia overnight before they reached their targets in an attack that sought to strike military and critical infrastructure.

"The focus of the attack was Poltava region, it was attacked in several waves," Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on national television.

Railway power lines were damaged by falling debris in central Kirovohrad region, but the damage was quickly repaired, Governor Andriy Raikovych said.

The Ukrainian military said Russia carried out another missile attack on Poltava region and southern Odesa region later on Wednesday morning, but there were no immediate reports of what was hit.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Russia.



Iran Says It Warned US Destroyer to Move Away from Waters Monitored by Tehran

In this June 1, 2017 photo, the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald, foreground, (DDG 62) makes its way with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, through the Sea of Japan. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelsey L. Adams/US Navy via AP)
In this June 1, 2017 photo, the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald, foreground, (DDG 62) makes its way with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, through the Sea of Japan. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelsey L. Adams/US Navy via AP)
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Iran Says It Warned US Destroyer to Move Away from Waters Monitored by Tehran

In this June 1, 2017 photo, the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald, foreground, (DDG 62) makes its way with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, through the Sea of Japan. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelsey L. Adams/US Navy via AP)
In this June 1, 2017 photo, the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald, foreground, (DDG 62) makes its way with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, through the Sea of Japan. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelsey L. Adams/US Navy via AP)

Iran warned a US destroyer on Wednesday to change course after it approached waters being monitored by the country, leading the US ship to turn away, Iranian state media reported.

The US Navy and U.S. Central Command, which overseas US forces in the Middle East, had no immediate comment on the report.

The reported incident follows US strikes last month on Iranian nuclear facilities that Washington says were part of a program geared towards developing nuclear weapons. Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is for purely civilian purposes.

"US destroyer 'Fitzgerald' attempted to approach waters under Iran's monitoring in a provocative move", Iranian state TV said, adding that a Navy helicopter quickly approached the destroyer and issued a stern warning to leave the area.

The US destroyer threatened the Iranian helicopter, but moved out of the area upon continued warning, state TV said.

Iranian state media identified the vessel in question as "DDG Fitzgerald", adding the Iranian Army contacted the vessel asserting the helicopter was under its protection and asking the ship to change it direction to the south.