Footage shows a major Russian oil refinery ablaze for the second time this week, escalating concerns about the country’s energy infrastructure and potential global market impacts. The incident occurred at the Rosneft-owned ryazan refinery, located roughly 120 miles southeast of Moscow.
The fires, confirmed by regional authorities, follow a similar attack on another major refinery earlier in the week, raising questions about security vulnerabilities and the possibility of coordinated strikes targeting Russia’s oil production capacity. While the full extent of the damage remains unclear, disruptions to refinery operations could lead to fuel shortages within russia and perhaps influence global oil prices.
Dr.Mark McCarthy, head of climate attribution at the Met Office, explains that “despite the warming climate, extreme cold events still occur in the UK due to natural variability.” He adds, “Future UK winter climate will still be variable year to year, so severely cold winters are still likely to occur – just less often.”
The World Meteorological Organization reports that each decade since the 1980s has been warmer than the previous one, a trend projected to continue. Preliminary data indicates 2025 is on track to be the second or third warmest year on record, with average temperatures between january and August 1.42°C above late 1800s levels.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change asserts that this warming is “unequivocally” caused by human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. Despite these long-term trends, short-term weather events, such as recent snowfall in the UK, do not disprove the reality of climate change, as weather reflects short-term atmospheric changes while climate describes long-term patterns. Social media posts falsely claiming cold weather disproves global warming, asking “what happened to all that global warming?” or ironically suggesting it is ”hitting England hard,” demonstrate a misunderstanding of this distinction.
