Ukrainian Drones Hit Afipsky Refinery for 5th Time, Novoshakhtinsk Plant Reportedly Targeted

On Tuesday morning, Aug. 25, Ukrainian drones struck Russia's Krasnodar Krai, causing damage to an oil refinery, homes, and a railway station in the village of Afipsky, according to Russian officials. Governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported that at least 10 residences were harmed and a fire broke out within one of them, along with the refinery's premises. Kondratyev added that drone debris fell at the Afipskaya railway station, resulting in at least two fatalities and two injuries.

The Afipsky Oil Refinery, one of southern Russia's largest with a yearly crude-processing capacity of approximately 7.2 million metric tons, produces various fuels and distillates. This refinery has faced drone attacks four times already this year, following strikes on Jan. 21, March 14, June 11, and July 14, each causing fires and damage.

In a separate incident, Ukrainian drones targeted Russia's Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant (GPP) in the Astrakhan region on Aug. 24. The GPP, a significant facility in the Gazprom network with a processing capacity of 12 billion cubic meters of gas and 7.3 million metric tons of gas condensate annually, suffered damage to two of its U-272 gas separation units. The products from this plant supply Russia's armed forces and are used in explosives production.

Ukrainian drones also attacked Russia's Rostov region overnight, damaging four private homes in Novoshakhtinsk and sparking a forest fire, though no casualties were reported. The Russian defense ministry stated that air defense systems had intercepted and neutralized 148 enemy targets in the Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, Lipetsk, and Rostov regions, including occupied Crimea and the waters of the Azov and Black seas.

Sources indicate that Ukrainian drones have struck Russian industrial facilities over 70 times since the start of 2026, disrupting dozens of operations. A recent report by The Moscow Times noted that five refineries—Permnefteorgsintez, Orsknefteorgsintez, Zapsibneftekhim, Saratov, and Volgograd—suspended operations since early August, leading to a sharp decline in Russian oil refining, which fell to its lowest level in five years.

However, refineries have since partially resumed production. Fuel scarcity has emerged in some Russian regions, with limited availability of common gasoline grades.