Was set ablaze on Monday: Now major Russian oil refinery is hit by Ukrainian drones again

Working at a Russian oil refinery is becoming increasingly dangerous as the war in Ukraine drags on.

Ukraine is increasing its long-range strikes deep into Russian territory, targeting strategic sites and hitting Russia’s economy where it hurts most: oil.

Russia’s federal budget relies heavily on revenue from oil and gas exports, so Ukrainian forces have set their sights on Russian energy infrastructure.

And for the workers at the Lukoil refinery, it has been an especially bad week.

Refineries in flames

According to the Ukrainian military’s General Staff, a drone strike hit the Lukoil refinery near the town of Kstovo.

The facility is located in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border.

The attack targeted a vital crude oil processing unit. Local residents reported hearing explosions early in the morning before seeing thick black smoke rising into the sky. Independent Russian media outlet ASTRA also reported the fire.

This is the second time the major fuel plant has been hit in less than a week. The site previously caught fire after an earlier strike on May 18. It is a critical piece of infrastructure for the Kremlin.

Following the initial strike, Ukraine’s General Staff said the refinery “is one of the largest oil refining enterprises in the Russian Federation,” with an annual capacity of 17 million tons. The military added that the site produces fuels “used to support the needs of the Russian occupation forces.”

Targets deep inside

The long-range campaign did not stop with fuel. Overnight, another attack struck a major chemical factory in the southern Stavropol region. Russian Telegram channels reported explosions and a large fire at the Nevinnomyssk Azot plant.

This factory is one of the largest producers of mineral fertilizers in the country. However, the facility also manufactures key chemicals used in military explosives. It produces up to one million tons of ammonia annually.

Local officials gave conflicting accounts of the raid. Stavropol Governor Vladimir Vladimirov claimed on Telegram that air defenses had stopped the attack and that no damage was caused. However, the city’s mayor confirmed that defense systems were active, while residents reported a visible fire.

This incident marks at least the seventh time the factory has been targeted during the war

Sources: Ukraine’s General Staff, ASTRA, Kyiv Independent, Telegram posts

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation