Ukrainian drone strikes ignited a fire at a major Gazprom oil and petrochemical facility in the republic of Bashkortostan on Thursday, regional officials said.
“Two drones attacked the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat enterprise,” Bashkortostan regional head Radiy Khabirov wrote on Telegram, describing the incident as a “terrorist attack.” He said security guards at the facility opened fire on the drones.
Emergency crews were working to contain the blaze, Khabirov said, adding that no one was injured in the attack. The extent of the damage remained unclear.
Videos published by Ukrainian media showed what was said to be thick black smoke rising above the site.
Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat, Russia’s 10th-largest refinery with a capacity of 10 million metric tons of oil annually, produces more than 150 petroleum and chemical products. Ukrainian drones first targeted the plant in May 2024.
Russia’s Defense Ministry did not list Bashkortostan among the regions where it said drones were downed overnight.
The strike came as Gazprom Neft announced that it had postponed scheduled maintenance at its Omsk Oil Refinery due to government measures aimed at stabilizing domestic fuel supplies.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in recent months, hitting at least 10 refineries since early August and forcing Russia to slash refining capacity by nearly 20% at one point, according to Reuters.
Russia’s pipeline monopoly Transneft reportedly warned producers this week that output could be curbed further if drone attacks continue to damage key facilities.
Wholesale oil prices in Russia have surged amid the drone attacks.
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