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Editor's note: The story was updated with a statement from a HUR source.
Ukrainian military intelligence's (HUR) drones struck the Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast overnight on March 10, a source in the agency told the Kyiv Independent, confirming earlier reports.
The statement came after Russian and Ukrainian sources reported an attack against the facility earlier the same day. Ukraine has systematically targeted Russian oil refineries, military sites, and warehouses deep behind the front lines to undermine Moscow's capacity to wage its all-out war.
The refinery's "capacity amounts to 8.8 million metric tons of oil per year, making it one of the 10 largest (refineries) in Russia," said Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
The plant produces gasoline, diesel fuel, and fuel oil, "which are critically important for transport and military equipment," the official added. This includes jet fuel used by supersonic aircraft such as Su-27 fighter jets and Tu-22 bombers, the HUR source claimed.
Samara Oblast residents reported loud explosions overnight, Astra wrote, adding that a fire was recorded at the Rosneft-run oil facility. According to the HUR source, the facility was hit at around 2 a.m. local time. The refinery was not sufficiently protected by anti-drone defenses, the source added.
The city of Novokuybyshevsk lies roughly 900 kilometers (560 miles) from the front line in Ukraine. The facility was previously attacked at least twice in March 2024.
"This refinery is strategically important for the Russian military as it ensures a stable fuel supply for military operations," Kovalenko said.
The Russian pro-state agency RBC reported a fire at a warehouse in Novokuybyshevsk that covered an area of 1,500 square meters later the same day, without mentioning a drone attack. No casualties were reported.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its forces had shot down nine Ukrainian drones overnight, including three over Samara Oblast, two each over the Voronezh and Oryol oblasts, and one each over the Belgorod and Kursk oblasts.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
On March 9, a Ukrainian drone reportedly attacked an oil depot in Cheboksary in Russia's Chuvashia Republic, marking the first strike against the region.
Kateryna Denisova
