Ukrainian drones reportedly strike Russian oil refinery, Ozon warehouse in Saratov

Ukrainian drones launched an attack on the Russian city of Saratov overnight on Sept. 11, reportedly striking oil and logistics infrastructure, Russian Telegram media channels reported.

Independent Russian outlet ASTRA said its OSINT analysis identified a fire at the Rosneft-owned refinery in Saratov. Videos circulating on social media also appeared to show drones and Russian air defenses in operation in the region.

The Saratov Oil Refinery has been repeatedly targeted during Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign against Russia’s energy infrastructure. The facility, which is part of state oil company Rosneft, has an annual processing capacity of roughly 4.8 million metric tons of crude oil.

Saratov Oblast Governor Roman Busargin posted on Telegram around 2 a.m. local time about a threat from unmanned aerial vehicles, claiming that emergency services had been placed on full alert.

Soon after the strike on the refinery, a logistics hub belonging to Russian e-commerce giant Ozon was also reported to be on fire in Saratov. Video published by Exilenova+ appeared to show employees leaving the facility after explosions were heard.

Ozon is Russia’s second-largest e-commerce marketplace, behind Wildberries, and operates an extensive network of warehouses, fulfillment centers and delivery infrastructure across the country.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the reports or the extent of any damage. Ukraine’s military has not yet commented on the reported attack.

Saratov is located approximately 460 kilometers (285 miles) east of the Ukrainian border with Russia, near Luhansk Oblast in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries have emerged as one of the most economically significant aspects of Kyiv's long-range drone campaign, contributing to fuel shortages and pushing Russian production down sharply over the summer. Russian refinery throughput fell to about 3.8 million barrels per day in August, down from around 5 million barrels per day a year earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Energy Aspects.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian refineries in an effort to disrupt fuel supplies and reduce energy revenues that help finance Moscow’s war.