Major fire erupts at Saratov oil refinery after drone attack

A drone strike targeted the Saratov oil refinery on August 2 morning, igniting a major fire at the facility, according to Russian news outlet Astra. This marks at least the 15th such attack on the Saratov refinery since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, as reported by Astra. Saratov Oblast Governor Roman Busargin confirmed the attack and reported damage to civilian infrastructure in Saratov and Engels, though he did not specify the targeted facilities.

The Saratov refinery, one of Russia's oldest oil-processing plants, processed 4.8 million metric tons of crude oil in 2023. Prior to the July 2 attack, the refinery had been hit on July 8. Following the July 2 strike, the refinery ceased oil processing, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters. The drones targeted the main CDU-6 crude distillation unit, with a daily processing capacity of 20,000 metric tons, which is the sole such unit at the facility, the sources revealed.

Ukraine has launched 15 drone attacks on Russian oil refineries since the start of 2026, disabling nearly 40% of Russia's main oil-processing capacity by May, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on June 1. On July 1, Ukraine's Defense Ministry reported striking 11 Russian refineries in June alone. Ukraine's General Staff confirmed a strike on the Omsk refinery on July 6, nearly 2,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, making it the last of Russia's 11 largest gasoline producers to be hit by Ukrainian forces.

Fires erupted at oil depots in Tver and Stavropol Krai following drone strikes on July 8-9, Russian authorities confirmed, describing them as "industrial facilities." Drones also targeted Leningrad Oblast on July 9, potentially hitting the Kirishinefteorgsintez refinery in Kirishi, according to Supernova+ monitoring channel.