Ukraine confirms drone strike on Russian oil refinery in Saratov Oblast, 2nd hit in a month
Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Russia's Saratov Oblast overnight on Oct. 16, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SSO) has confirmed.
"The Saratov Refinery is one of the oldest Russian oil refining enterprises, formerly known as the Cracking Plant, and is part of the Rosneft oil company," the SSO said in a post on social media.
"The volume of oil processing as of 2020 is 7.2 million tons, and in 2023 it is 4.8 million tons. Recall that the SSO struck this facility exactly a month ago, on Sept. 16, 2025."
The news comes as Kyiv continues to escalate its campaign against Russian oil and gas infrastructure, a key source of Moscow's revenues helping to fuel its all-out invasion of Ukraine.
Saratov Oblast Governor Roman Busargin announced around 1:00 a.m. local time that the Russian Defense Ministry had received information about a potential drone attack.
Later that night, the Federal Air Transport Agency, also known as Rosaviatsiya, reported the temporary closure of Saratov's airport.
Local residents reported hearing numerous explosions, according to the Russian Telegram channel Astra.
Videos allegedly showing a drone striking an oil refinery, where a fire subsequently broke out, also began circulating online.
The Saratov oil refinery has been targeted by drone attacks before, with the General Staff confirming a Ukrainian strikeon the facility on Sept. 20.
The Saratov refinery produces over 20 types of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, bitumen, and more. The facility, whose processing volume amounted to 4.8 million metric tons in 2023, helps supply the Russian military, according to Ukraine's General Staff.
Saratov lies roughly 150 km (100 miles) from the border with Kazakhstan and nearly 600 kilometers (370 miles) east of the front line in Ukraine.
The attack on the refinery comes as Russia faces a mounting gasoline shortage, exacerbated by Ukrainian strikes on oil infrastructure.
Russian oil product exports dropped by 17.1% in September compared to August, totaling 7.58 million tons, due to ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks, according to Reuters.
