Kyiv confirms UAV attack on key Russian fuel production facility in Volgograd

The governor of the Volgograd region, Andrei Bocharov, said on Telegram that the area came under a massive drone attack, resulting in a fire at an oil refinery.

"Last night, the Russian Defense Ministry’s air defense forces repelled a massive UAV attack on the territory of the Volgograd region. As a result of falling debris, an oil spill and fire broke out at the Volgograd oil refinery. Fire services promptly began extinguishing the blaze. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties," Bocharov stated.

The refinery in question is likely LUKOIL-Volgogradneftepererabotka, which processes a mix of low-sulfur West Siberian and Lower Volga crude oil. This year, the facility has already been attacked twice.

Later, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed Ukrainian forces had been behind the attack.

"The attack, conducted by the Unmanned Systems Forces in coordination with the Defense Intelligence and other components of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, caused severe fires at the facility," the statement said. "The Volgograd Oil Refinery is the largest producer of fuels and lubricants in Russia’s Southern Federal District. It processes over 15 million tons of crude oil annually, accounting for 5.6% of the country’s total refining capacity. The refinery produces diesel, gasoline, and aviation fuel, all of which are critical to the logistics of Russia’s armed forces."

The full extent of the damage is still being assessed.