Ukraine confirms drone strikes on key Russian oil refinery, petrochemical plant
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
A Lukoil oil refinery in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod Oblast was hit by Ukrainian drones overnight on Nov. 4, a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent.
Over 50 Ukrainian-made drones, including Bober and FPV-1 models, were used in the joint operation, conducted by HUR, the Armed Forces, and the Special Operations Forces, according to the source.
The refinery was reportedly struck while undergoing repairs to a rectification column used for primary oil processing.
Video footage circulating online showed flames at the facility, which local monitoring channels identified as the likely target of the attack.
Lukoil Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez is one of Russia's largest oil refineries, supplying fuel to the Moscow region, which accounts for about 30% of the country’s gasoline consumption. The refinery's annual crude processing capacity is around 17 million tons, producing over 50 types of petroleum products, including automotive, aviation, and diesel fuels, as well as bitumen and paraffin.
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces also confirmed a reported strike on a petrochemical plant in the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan.
Explosions were reported overnight at a petrochemical plant in Sterlitamak, Bashkortostan. Mayor Emil Shaimardanov said on Nov. 4 that as a result of the explosion, part of the water purification facility collapsed.
"All emergency services are currently at the scene. The cause of the explosion is being investigated" he said, adding that five people were working at the facility, according to preliminary data, and no one was injured.
The facility is Russia's leading manufacturer of components for aviation kerosene, used in the production of aviation fuel, according to the General Staff.
One of the plant's workshops sustained "significant damage" as a result of the strike, the military said. The full results of the attack are still being investigated.
Earlier on Nov. 4, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it had downed 85 drones across multiple regions, including Nizhny Novgorod, Voronezh, Belgorod, Kursk, Lipetsk, Volgograd, Sverdlovsk, and the Republic of Bashkortostan.
Explosions were reported by the independent outlet Astra in the Russian city of Lipetsk amid an air raid siren in the city.
In Russia's Volgograd Oblast, an electrical substation was damaged due to falling drone debris, Governor Andrey Bocharov claimed.
Overnight on Nov. 3, Alexander Khinshtein, the Governor of Kursk region, said that a substation in the city of Rylsk was attacked. As a result, more than 16,000 consumers in various areas were left without power.
A drone attack was also reported in the city of Dovzhansk, Luhansk Oblast. The city is located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of the city of Luhansk and has been occupied by Russian forces since 2014.
The Kyiv Independent could not immediately verify the details of all the attacks.
Kyiv considers oil refineries to be valid military targets, as profits from the fossil fuel industry fund Russia's war machine.
Ukraine regularly strikes military targets in its occupied territories and deep within Russia as Moscow continues to wage its war against Ukraine.
On Oct. 30, a fire broke out at a thermal power plant in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast, causing a widespread power outage across the region, independent outlet Astra reported.
