Ukraine Strikes Major Gazprom Refinery in Russia’s Bashkortostan, Sparks Fire

Ukrainian drones struck the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil refinery in Russia's Bashkortostan region on August 13, sparking a fire at the industrial complex, according to both Russian and Ukrainian sources. The Bashkortostan governor, Radiy Khabirov, reported that debris from the drones fell in an industrial zone of Salavat, igniting the blaze.

Emergency responders were dispatched to the area, he added. Ukrainian monitoring services Exilenova+ and Supernova confirmed the target was indeed the Salavat refinery. Residents of Russian cities also observed a substantial plume of black smoke billowing from the facility, as per the Astra news outlet. The Salavat complex is Gazprom's largest petrochemical facility and one of Russia's principal oil-processing sites.

It boasts the capacity to process up to 7.5 million metric tons of crude oil annually, contributing approximately 2.7% of Russia's total refining capacity. The plant manufactures gasoline, diesel, kerosene, liquefied gases, ammonia, urea, and other petrochemical products. The refinery had already been targeted by Ukrainian drones on July 14.

Reports from Reuters, citing informed sources, indicated that the attack damaged two primary oil-processing units, leading to the shutdown of operations. Restoration efforts are expected to span several weeks to several months, per Reuters sources. This latest assault follows a surge in Ukrainian attacks on Russia's oil-refining infrastructure.

Since the start of August, at least four Russian refineries have halted processing crude oil following Ukrainian strikes, including facilities in Orenburg, Tyumen, Saratov, and Volgograd regions. An S&P Global analysis, cited by The Moscow Times, revealed that Ukrainian strikes have disrupted operations at a minimum of 26 Russian oil-processing facilities in 2026.

By the end of July, only seven had managed to resume production. Consequently, Russia's refining output has plummeted to around 3.6 million barrels per day, its lowest level since May 2002. These disruptions have fueled a mounting fuel shortage across Russia. While gasoline shortages began to ease in late July, they resurfaced in August.

Residents of at least 16 Russian regions continue to face long lines at gas stations and restrictions on fuel sales. In some areas, stations belonging to Gazprom and Lukoil have ceased selling AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline. The persistent strikes are mounting mounting pressure on Russia's already strained fuel supply as Ukraine persists in targeting energy infrastructure deep within Russian territory.