Ukrainian drones strike major Russian petrochemical plant in Bashkortostan, military says

Ukrainian drones reportedly struck a petrochemical plant in Sterlitamak in Russia's Bashkortostan Republic, Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Magyar" Brovdi said on April 15, describing the strike as part of a broader campaign to undermine Russia's senses of security deep behind the front line.

"Not just to chip away at the enemy’s military-industrial complex, but to shatter the very illusion of security regarding the depth of the enemy’s rear, right down to its densest jungles" Brovdi said.

Bashkortostan Governor Radiy Khabirov said on Telegram that around 11 a.m. local time, the region came under a drone attack, with the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) reportedly shot down over an industrial zone.

Khabirov added that debris fell on the grounds of an enterprise but did not specify which one. "All services are working at the site, putting out the resultant fire," Khabirov said.

In a subsequent post on Telegram, Khabirov said at nearly 1 p.m. local time that a driver in the local fire department had been killed in the attack.

Sterlitamak, located roughly 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) east of the nearest Ukrainian-controlled territory, is one of Bashkortostan's key industrial hubs, in a Russian republic east of the Ural Mountains.

Russian-language outlet Astra identified the site of the attack as the Sterlitamak Petrochemical Plant, a major producer ofaviation fuel.

"The petrochemical plant in Sterlitamak (Bashkortostan) is a producer of jet fuel and additives for aviation kerosene, and the only manufacturer of neodymium synthetic rubbers in Russia," Brovdi said.

A video published by a Russian military propaganda channel appears to show an Antonov-made "Liutyi" long-range drone striking the chemical plant.

Ukraine's aerial campaign on Russian oil infrastructure has been ongoing for years but has become more successful in recent months. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said that unnamed foreign partners had asked Ukraine to curtail its attacks on Russian petrochemical infrastructure.

Oil and gas prices have spiked as a result of the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump temporarily waived sanctions on Russian oil and gas as the closure of the Straits of Hormuz rippled across global stock markets.