Ukrainian Drone Assault Engulfs Gazprom Oil Facility in Bashkortostan

Ukrainian drone assaults sparked a blaze at a significant Gazprom oil and petrochemical plant located in Bashkortostan on Thursday, according to local officials.

«Two drones struck the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat facility,» wrote Radiy Khabirov, the regional head, on Telegram, labeling the incident a «terrorist act.» He noted that security personnel at the site fired at the drones.

Khabirov also stated that emergency responders were on-site to manage the fire, and fortunately, there were no reported injuries from the attack. The overall damage incurred was still undetermined.

Footage released by Ukrainian media depicted what appeared to be thick black smoke billowing from the area.

Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat is Russia’s tenth-largest refinery, boasting an annual capacity of 10 million metric tons of oil and producing over 150 different petroleum and chemical products. This facility was previously targeted by Ukrainian drones in May 2024.

Interestingly, Russia’s Defense Ministry did not mention Bashkortostan among the regions where drones were reported as intercepted overnight.

This incident coincided with Gazprom Neft’s announcement that it would delay planned maintenance at its Omsk Oil Refinery, a decision influenced by government efforts to stabilize domestic fuel supplies.

In recent months, Ukraine has escalated its assaults on Russian energy infrastructure, with strikes on at least ten refineries since the beginning of August, which has led to a significant reduction in Russia’s refining capacity by nearly 20% at times, as reported by Reuters.

Transneft, Russia’s pipeline monopoly, has reportedly cautioned producers that further limitations on output could occur if drone attacks persist in damaging essential facilities.

As a result of these drone strikes, wholesale oil prices in Russia have experienced a significant increase.