Ukrainian Drone Strike Sparks Fire at Major Russian Oil Refinery

Darwin, 15 September – A Ukrainian drone attack triggered a fire at the Kirishi oil refinery in Russia’s Leningrad region, according to regional governor Alexander Drozdenko, as reported by The Kyiv Independent.

The incident occurred late Saturday night.

The Kirishi refinery is one of Russia’s largest, with an annual processing capacity of over 17 million metric tons (roughly 355,000 barrels per day), accounting for around 6.4% of the country’s total refining capacity. It is a subsidiary of Surgutneftegas and is located approximately 800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Governor Drozdenko stated that Russian air defenses shot down at least three drones in the Kirishi area. However, debris from one of the downed drones fell inside the refinery compound, igniting a fire. The blaze was later brought under control. While damage was reported, no casualties occurred.

Independent Russian outlet Astra, citing videos and images shared by local residents, reported witnessing a large explosion and flames at the refinery following the drone strike. These claims could not be independently verified by The Kyiv Independent.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) noted that it had previously targeted the Kirishi refinery in March of this year.

This latest attack comes just days after what was described as one of the largest drone strikes in the Leningrad region since the start of the war.

Earlier, on 12 September, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) carried out a drone strike on Russia’s Primorsk port on the Baltic Sea — the country’s largest oil export terminal. That attack set a ship and a pumping station on fire, forcing authorities to suspend oil exports temporarily.

Over the past year, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russia’s oil industry. These strikes have repeatedly disrupted production and exports, contributing to a growing fuel crisis across Russia. Kyiv maintains that Russia’s oil refineries are legitimate military targets, as they fund and fuel Moscow’s war machinery.