July 22 (Reuters) - Russia's air defence systems

destroyed 75 drones launched by Ukraine overnight, including

eight near the town of Tuapse on the Black Sea where Russia's

oil major Rosneft has a refinery, the Russian defence

ministry said on Monday.

Forty-seven drones were downed over the Rostov region in

Russia's southwest, 17 over the waters of the Black and Azov

seas, eight over the Krasnodar region, where Tuapse is located,

and single drones over the Belgorod, Voronezh and Smolensk

region, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

The ministry did not say whether its defence systems

destroyed the drones, or whether the attack had caused any

damage.

Sergei Boiko, head of the Tuapse district in the Krasnodar

region, said on Telegram infrastructure and residential

buildings had not been damaged.

Russian officials rarely disclose the full extent of damage

inflicted by Ukrainian attacks. The Tuapse refinery has been a

target of several Ukrainian air attacks since the start of the

war that Russia launched against its smaller neighbour in 2022.

Russia's SHOT and Mash Telegram news channels reported that

a series of blasts were heard near the refinery early Monday.

Reuters could not independently verify the Russian reports.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Kyiv has often said

that the attacks on Russia's military, energy and transport

infrastructure are in response to Russia's continuous attacks on

Ukraine's territory.