Drones operated by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) struck the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat refinery in Russia’s Bashkortostan region on Tuesday, the second attack on the facility in less than a week.
An SBU source told Kyiv Post that drones from the agency’s Special Operations Center “A” carried out the strike, sparking a large fire and sending a column of black smoke over the site. Photos and video circulating on social media showed the scale of the blaze. Local officials confirmed that emergency services were deployed and said damage assessments were under way.
The refinery, located about 1,400 kilometers (900 miles) from Ukraine, is among Russia’s largest oil and petrochemical plants. It produces more than 150 products, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, bitumen and polyethylene.
Last week, Ukrainian drones targeted the plant’s ELOU-AVT-4 crude oil processing unit, described as the “heart” of the refinery, which also resulted in a major fire. Regional authorities later acknowledged the damage.
The SBU source said Ukraine’s strikes are aimed at “facilities that finance the war against our state,” adding that Russia must understand the cost of continuing its invasion.
The renewed strike on Salavat comes amid broader Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure. Reuters reported that operations at the Astrakhan gas processing plant were suspended again after a September 22 drone attack triggered a fire at its condensate production facility. Regional governor Igor Babushkin confirmed drones had targeted an industrial site, claiming 13 were destroyed but acknowledging “local fires.”
The Astrakhan complex, which employs around 5,600 people, processes condensate into gasoline, diesel, fuel oil and sulfur. It produced 1.8 million tons of condensate in 2024, according to company data.
The St. Petersburg Commodity Exchange has suspended wholesale fuel sales from Astrakhan following the attack, with analysts warning the plant could be offline for weeks or months.
Russia’s fuel market is already strained, with refinery output reportedly falling by nearly 20 percent on some days, and shortages of common gasoline grades such as AI-92 and AI-95 have been reported in Crimea and the Far East.
Ukraine has stepped up strikes on Russian refineries and export terminals throughout 2025, part of a strategy to reduce Moscow’s energy revenues, disrupt supplies and increase domestic pressure on the Kremlin.
POWIĄZANE TREŚCI: Ukraina nie może wygrać samymi dronami, ale co jeśli nie musi?
Post Image – Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat Plant in Russia (Post Image Credit: Gazprom)
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