Video: Russian Oil Refinery In Flames After Ukrainian Drone Attack

Ukraine has launched a large-scale drone attack on Russian energy infrastructure, hitting an oil refinery in Kstovo and an oil-pumping station on a key crude pipeline.

Kyiv’s forces have intensified their attacks on Russian oil facilities to disrupt fuel supplies and cut funding for Russia’s war effort.

A Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously, claimed that drones struck an oil-pumping station on the Baltic Pipeline System-2, which transports crude oil to Ust-Luga, Russia’s second-largest Baltic port.

There was no immediate confirmation from Transneft, Russia’s oil pipeline operator.

Ukraine’s General Staff reported that drones hit an oil refinery in Kstovo, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, about 800 kilometres (500 miles) from the front lines.

The refinery, owned by Lukoil PJSC, has been targeted before, with previous strikes disrupting its operations. Ukrainian media reported that four drones hit a Lukoil fuel depot, causing major damage.

Videos circulating on social media showed large flames engulfing the industrial facility.

Yesterday, as part of a campaign to enforce peace through strength, the Ukrainian Defence Forces struck Lukoil’s Nizhny Novgorod oil refinery, leaving it engulfed in flames, as seen in the footage.

Notably, the Ryazan, Novoshakhtinsk, and Nizhny Novgorod refineries—all targeted… pic.twitter.com/TFzZItaEOb

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) January 29, 2025

Video Credits: WarTranslated (Dmitri)/X (Twitter)

A person in Russia who knew about the situation said that the refinery’s production was not affected and that operations continued as normal.

Lukoil has not commented on the attack. A fire was reported at a nearby plant owned by Russian petrochemical company Sibur, but Russia has not officially confirmed an attack on the Norsi refinery.

Vasily Anokhin, the governor of Smolensk, a city in Russia, said that Ukraine launched a “massive” attack on civilian infrastructure in his region.

He claimed that one drone was shot down while attempting to hit a nuclear power facility, though this information could not be independently verified.

In Belgorod, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that a Ukrainian strike killed a mother and her toddler. Another child and his father were also injured. Belgorod has been frequently targeted since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that 104 Ukrainian drones were shot down across nine regions overnight. The attack also caused disruptions at airports in St. Petersburg and Kazan, suspending operations temporarily.

Ukraine has been attacking Russian energy infrastructure for nearly two years, to weaken Moscow’s economy and reduce its ability to fund the war.

Ukrainian military sources stated that these attacks were meant to cut off fuel supplies to the Russian front lines.

The Kstovo refinery processes about 340,000 barrels of crude daily, mostly for Russia’s domestic market. Reports reveal that Ukraine’s recent strikes on multiple refineries may have reduced Russia’s petroleum product output by over 10%.

Russian bloggers have expressed concern over the increasing number of Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s roughly 30 large refineries. Some have criticised the lack of air defences at these sites, with one blogger commenting, “Yet another refinery in flames.”

Ukraine’s long-range drone capabilities have improved over the past three years. The country has developed more than a dozen different models, including modified sport planes that carry hundreds of pounds of explosives over distances of up to 800 miles.

Some drones can travel more than 1,000 miles and strike targets with high precision. Compared to the cost of rebuilding a refinery, which could be in the millions, these drone strikes are a relatively cheap and effective strategy.

Under the Biden administration, the U.S. discouraged Ukraine from attacking Russian oil infrastructure, fearing this could lead to increased fuel prices globally and contribute to inflation.

However, the recent escalation indicates that Ukraine has increased its attacks despite these concerns.

New U.S. sanctions, implemented in the final weeks of Biden’s presidency, targeted tankers transporting Russian oil. Reports say that these sanctions have made Chinese and Indian buyers hesitant to continue purchasing Russian crude.

It is unclear how President Donald Trump will approach the issue. While he once promised to end the war on his first day in office, no clear strategy has been made yet. His first days in power have been described as chaotic, without a defined policy on the Russia-Ukraine war.

Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, has long advocated for strict sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, which he described as “weaponised.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military has stated that they will continue to target Russian oil facilities.

References: Bloomberg, BBC

Source: Maritime Shipping News