Ukrainian drone strike sets fire to Russia's Volgograd oil refinery, Kyiv confirms
Editor's note: This is a developing story.
Ukrainian forces struck a refinery in the Russian city of Volgograd overnight on Aug. 14, causing powerful fires at the facility, Ukraine's General Staff reported.
The refinery processes over 15 million metric tons of oil every year, amounting to 5.6% of Russia's refining capacity, the military said. The Lukoil plant produces diesel, gasoline, and aviation fuel, crucial for Russian military logistics.
The attack was carried out in cooperation between the Unmanned Systems Forces, military intelligence (HUR), and other branches, the General Staff said.
Russian officials reported on an attack against the refinery earlier in the day. Volgograd Oblast Governor Andrey Bocharov said the strike caused an oil spill and fire on the premises.
"Tonight, the air defense forces of the Russian Defense Ministry repelled a massive UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) attack on the territory of Volgograd Oblast," Bocharov said.
"As a result of falling debris, oil products spilled and caught fire at the Volgograd Oil Refinery. Firefighters quickly began extinguishing the fire."
Preliminary information indicates there are no casualties, Bocharov said.
The Volgograd refinery, owned by Russian oil giant Lukoil, has been targeted multiple times throughout the full-scale war. Russian media and officials reported attacks on the facility in both February and March 2025. Ukraine's General Staff confirmed a drone strike against the refinery in January.
Ukraine regularly launches long-range drone attacks on industrial and military facilities in Russia. Oil refineries, which fund and fuel Moscow's war machine, are frequent targets of these strikes.
Three Russian refineries have cut or suspended operations this month due to damage sustained from Ukrainian drone attacks, according to media reports. Bloomberg reported that a Rosneft facility in Saratov Oblast halted oil intake after a strike on Aug. 10.
Russia's Ryazan refinery also decreased its production by half while the Novokuibyshevsk refinery halted production completely on Aug. 2, Reuters reported.
