{
  "id": 9328300,
  "title": "Explosions, smoke reported near oil refinery in Russia's Bashkortostan",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/explosions-smoke-reported-near-oil-refinery-in-russias-bashkortostan",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T11:33:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Kyiv Independent",
    "slug": "kyiv-independent",
    "url": "https://kyivindependent.com/explosions-smoke-reported-near-oil-refinery-in-russias-bashkortostan/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 23, Russian independent news outlet Astra reported drones targeting an area near an oil refinery in Ufa, the capital of Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan. Local residents claimed they heard explosions, and a drone threat alert was issued in Bashkortostan. Ufa airport also imposed temporary restrictions on arrivals and departures. It is possible that smoke seen in the area of the Ufa oil refinery originated from the refinery or a neighboring thermal power plant, according to Astra's OSINT analyst. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 514 drones overnight in over 18 regions, including Bashkortostan, occupied Crimea, and the Black and Azov seas. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the drone strike, and no comment has been made by Russian authorities as of publication. The attacks on Russian energy facilities, particularly oil refineries, have significantly impacted fuel production and contributed to nationwide fuel shortages. On September 13, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop targeting Russian diesel fuel, as the ongoing strikes were causing a global diesel shortage and disrupting fuel supplies worldwide.",
  "summary": "The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed 514 drones overnight over 18 regions, occupied Crimea and the Black and Azov seas.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}