Russia sustains strikes on oil facilities by Ukrainian drones
In a surprising development, the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil refinery in the city of Salavat, Bashkortostan, Russia, was attacked by Ukrainian drones on September 18, 2025. The attack caused a fire in the crude distillation unit of the refinery.
According to preliminary information from the Ukrainian army, the work of the refinery has been stopped. The chemical plant in Salavat is a significant target, but earlier reports did not specify its exact role in the oil industry.
The refinery in Volgograd, another large oil processing plant, has also been a target of Ukrainian attacks. Previously, it was reported that the refinery produces fuel for the Russian army.
The attacks against oil facilities in Russia are aimed at disrupting the fuel supply of the Russian military and making it harder for Moscow to finance the war. Radi Khabirov, head of Bashkortostan, confirmed the attack in Salavat and stated that all emergency services are on site to extinguish the fire.
In a related incident, the million-strong city of Volgograd was shelled in the night. Governor Andrei Bocharov reported minor damages to some residential houses due to falling drone debris.
The Ukrainian military claims a hit in the local refinery in Volgograd. According to Ukrainian media, the drones used in the attack were from the SBU intelligence service and targeted a 'key facility' of the plant.
The Russian military reported intercepting 43 Ukrainian drones overnight, including nearly a dozen in the Volgograd region. The reasons for the attacks from Kyiv were given as supplying fuel to the Russian army.
The attacks on the oil industry in Russia are part of a continuous conflict between Russia and Ukraine that has been ongoing for over three and a half years. However, it's important to note that the scale of Ukraine's attacks is not comparable to the destruction Russia is causing in Ukraine with its war.
Gazprom, the state-owned Russian energy company, has not yet released an official statement regarding the attacks on its facilities. The attacks on the oil industry in Russia are a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict and could have far-reaching implications for the global oil market.
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