Ukraine hits oil facilities, drone production site in Russia, General Staff confirms
Ukraine carried out strikes on multiple targets in Russia linked to oil refining and drone production, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed on Sept. 24.
The confirmation follows a reported overnight attack on the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat petrochemical plant in Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan.
The General Staff said the strike hit the oil refining facility in the Republic of Bashkortostan, specifically the ELOU-AVT-6 primary oil refining unit. Preliminary reports indicate the attack caused a fire at the site.
The Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat facility is one of Russia’s largest oil refining and petrochemical plants, producing 150 different types of products, including gasoline and diesel fuel. It is located some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the front line in Ukraine.
The targeted facility processes up to 10 million tons of oil annually and is a key producer of liquid rocket fuel for Russia, according to the General Staff.
In addition to the strike on the oil refinery in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Ukrainian forces also targeted key infrastructure sites involved in the country’s energy and defense sectors.
The Kuzmichi-1 oil pumping station, part of the crude oil transport network supplying Russia’s southern regions, was among the facilities hit. Another strike targeted the Zenzevatka pumping station, which services the Kuybyshev-Tikhoretsk main oil pipeline.
Ukrainian forces struck a drone production facility in the village of Valuyki in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast as well. While the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, a fire reportedly broke out at the site following the attack.
Ukraine’s General Staff also confirmed that a long-range strike on Sept. 22 targeted the Astrakhan gas processing plant in southern Russia, forcing a partial shutdown of operations.
The facility, located in Russia’s Astrakhan Oblast, is one of the world’s largest gas chemical complexes and the country’s primary producer of sulfur used in explosives, accounting for up to 66% of national output. The plant processes up to 3.2 million tons of oil products annually, according to the General Staff.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Ukrainian forces have intensified attacks on Russia's oil industry over the past year, forcing operational suspensions and exacerbating a nationwide fuel shortage.
Kyiv considers Russian oil refineries, petrochemical facilities, as well as military production sites, to be valid military targets as they help fund Moscow's war machine.
