Russia’s Volgograd refinery burns as a Ukrainian monitor says Ukraine now appears to hit whole plants, not single units

On the night of November 13, 2026, the Lukoil refinery in Volgograd was set ablaze by Ukrainian drones, causing multiple fires across the facility. The plant, located approximately 490 kilometers from the front line, had been targeted at least 13 times since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Ukraine's strikes on oil refineries have intensified, disrupting about 30% of Russia's refining capacity by November 10, according to Reuters.

The refinery, which can produce around 5% of Russia's gasoline, experienced extensive damage to its primary distillation units, secondary units, and the tank farm. Four workers were killed, and two were hospitalized in the zone. Additionally, windows and balconies of several apartment buildings and a youth center were damaged, though no one was injured.

Ukraine has reportedly changed its tactics in attacking Russian refineries, targeting the entire industrial zone with a large number of drones to incapacitate the plant's capacity for as long as possible.