Moscow (The COW News Digital) A Ukrainian drone attack set fire to Russia’s second-largest oil refinery in the northwestern Leningrad region while falling drone debris killed a woman and damaged residential buildings, according to Russian officials and media reports.
The attack targeted the Kirishi oil refinery, also known as Kirishinefteorgsintez (KINEF), located in the town of Kirishi, approximately 100 kilometres southeast of St Petersburg. The facility is one of Russia’s largest petroleum processing plants and plays a significant role in supplying fuel to the country’s northwestern regions.
Reuters reported that Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed the refinery had caught fire following the overnight drone attack. He later stated that emergency services had contained the blaze and were dealing with the aftermath.
The attack also caused civilian casualties. According to the governor, a woman was killed after drone debris fell onto the roof of her apartment building in Vsevolozhsk, another town in the Leningrad region. An apartment building in Kirishi was also damaged during the incident.
Russian authorities reported that air defence systems had intercepted 113 Ukrainian drones across the region overnight. The claims were made by regional officials and have not been independently verified.
The Kirishi refinery has an annual crude oil processing capacity of approximately 20 million metric tonnes, equivalent to around 400,000 barrels per day. The facility is formally known as Kirishinefteorgsintez and is operated by the Surgutneftegas group.
The refinery produces several important petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, fuel oil and other petrochemical materials. Its operations are particularly significant for fuel supplies in northwestern Russia.
The industrial complex has previously been targeted in drone attacks. Ukrainian forces have increasingly focused on Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries, fuel storage facilities and other industrial installations.
Reports from Ukrainian monitoring channels and open-source analysts indicated that the latest attack caused extensive fires at the refinery. However, the full extent of the damage and the impact on its processing operations remained unclear.
The latest strike comes amid an intensification of drone attacks between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides targeting infrastructure connected to their respective war efforts.
Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Russian oil facilities in an effort to disrupt fuel production and energy-related revenue. Russian forces, meanwhile, have continued strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, including power facilities, as the conflict approaches another winter.
The Leningrad region is strategically important due to its industrial facilities and its role in Russia’s Baltic Sea trade and energy exports.
The attack on the Kirishi refinery highlights the continuing vulnerability of major industrial installations to long-range drone operations.
Authorities are assessing the damage, while further information regarding the refinery’s operational status and the overall impact of the attack is awaited.
