Ukraine strikes oil refinery in Russia's Saratov Oblast for 3rd time this fall, General Staff says
Ukraine struck the Saratov oil refinery for the third time this fall and hit multiple Russian military logistics sites overnight on Nov. 3, Ukraine's General Staff reported.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that overnight on Nov. 3, its forces intercepted 64 Ukrainian drones, including 29 over Saratov Oblast.
Residents reported hearing explosions, and photos and videos circulating online appeared to show a drone hitting the facility. This marks at least the third reported attack on the refinery since September.
The strike ignited a fire in the area of the ELOU AVT-6 oil refining units, according to Ukraine's General Staff.
The plant was covered with protective netting, and flames were visible in its western section, likely near storage tanks, the Telegram channel Astra reported earlier in the day.
Ukrainian forces also targeted logistics facilities in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast, hitting a supply warehouse in the settlement of Rozkishne and a mobile fuel and lubricants depot in Dovzhansk.
Drone attacks also hit the Saratov oil refinery earlier, on Sept. 20, and again on Oct. 16.
The Saratov oil refinery produces over 20 different petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, and bitumen. In 2023, the plant processed approximately 4.8 million metric tons of crude oil, according to Ukraine's General Staff.
Saratov is a key industrial site in the region, located around 150 kilometers (about 100 miles) from Kazakhstan's border and roughly 600 kilometers (370 miles) east of the Ukrainian front line,
This latest strike on the refinery occurs amid a growing shortage of gasoline in Russia, a problem worsened by repeated Ukrainian attacks on the country's energy infrastructure.
Russian exports of oil products declined by 17.1% in September compared to August, falling to 7.58 million tons, as Ukrainian drone strikes continued to disrupt operations, according to Reuters.
Yuliia Taradiuk
