Ukrainian Drones Strike Key Oil Refinery in Samara Region, Causing Significant Damage

Ukrainian drones launched assaults on six regions in Russia overnight, as reported by the Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday, with the southern Samara region being the primary focus of the attack, where air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 12 drones.

According to reports from both Russian pro-war sources and Ukrainian monitoring channels, the Syzran oil refinery, which is owned by Rosneft, along with a nearby power substation, appeared to be the targets of the assault in Samara.

Footage shared online captured flashes and explosions occurring in proximity to the refinery.

Authorities in Syzran issued a drone alert during the night, prompting the activation of air defense mechanisms.

The state aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, temporarily suspended flights at Kurumoch airport in Samara as a precautionary measure.

Residents reported hearing as many as six explosions, which were followed by power outages in various areas of the city. Witnesses also observed fire trucks rushing toward the refinery.

The strike reportedly impacted the ELOU-AVT-5 unit, a crucial part of the facility used for the preparation, desalting, and primary distillation of crude oil before further processing, according to the monitoring project Exilenova+.

One piece of footage indicated the possibility of damage to a high-voltage facility.

Data from Energybase reveals that the Syzran refinery operates three substations on-site.

Local officials have not yet provided any comments regarding the incident.

The refinery has an annual output of approximately 800,000 tons of gasoline and 1.5 million tons of diesel, servicing the regions of Samara, Saratov, and Penza, as well as portions of central Russia.

Previously, Ukraine’s General Staff mentioned that this facility also supplies fuel to the Russian military.

The Syzran refinery was targeted earlier on December 5, when drones caused damage to its AVT-6 primary processing unit, which is responsible for about 70% of the plant’s total capacity.

Following that incident, the refinery suspended its operations, with Reuters reporting that repairs might extend until the end of December, according to one source.