Ukrainian drones target Saratov oil refinery in Russia, source says

On 8 November, a Ukrainian intelligence source told Liga that Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) carried out a drone strike on the Saratov oil refinery, a facility owned by the Russian energy company Rosneft.

The Saratov oil refinery, previously known as the “Cracking” plant, is part of the structure of the effectively state-owned Russian company Rosneft. This year, Ukraine has intensified its drone attacks against the Russian oil industry, significantly disrupting fuel supplies crucial for the Russian military, while simultaneously decreasing the Kremlin’s export revenues.

According to the source, the HUR’s drones were able to reach the Russian city of Saratov and hit the local oil refinery during the overnight hours.

Videos shared by locals showed a fire at the facility:

The information about multiple explosions in Saratov’s Zavodskoy district, where the refinery is located, was confirmed not only by local residents on social media but also by the Russian regional authorities.

The governor of Saratov Oblast, Roman Busargin, initially stated that air defenses had successfully repelled the drone attack, but later acknowledged that allegedly some debris had fallen in the industrial zone of the Zavodskoy district. Busargin said that as a result of the “air defense operation,” 13 windows were blown out in one of the nearby residential buildings.

According to Saratov24, drone debris crashed on the premises of the Saratov oil refinery, reportedly hitting a fuel oil tank and one of the specialized installations. The source providing this information to journalists could not confirm whether a fire had occurred.

The source within the Ukrainian military intelligence confirmed the drones hit one of the refinery’s processing units as well as fuel storage tanks, referring to reports by local residents. Prior to this, Russian propagandists had reported seeing a plume of smoke coming from the direction of the refinery.

The Ukrainian side has not officially reported any strike on the facility. The extent of the damage to the refinery can be assessed once high-quality satellite images become available.

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