Fire Breaks Out at Syzran Oil Refinery After Drone Strike in Russia’s Samara Region

A wave of explosive drones struck the Syzran Oil Refinery in Russia’s Samara region, igniting a fire at the facility, Head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrii Kovalenko, reported on February 19.

“The Syzran Oil Refinery was attacked. It has a processing capacity of 8.9 million tons of crude oil per year, making it a mid-sized refinery in Russia. Its output includes fuel, aviation kerosene, and bitumen. Since 2015, the facility has produced only Euro-5 standard fuel and refines crude from Western Siberia and Samara,” Kovalenko stated.

He emphasized the refinery’s strategic importance to the Russian military. “Refineries of this scale play a crucial role in fueling the Russian army and are an integral part of its logistics.”

The first reports of the attack emerged at 2:45 am when Syzran residents posted on social media about hearing three loud explosions. Soon after, videos surfaced online confirming the strike and showing a fire raging at the refinery.

Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev later confirmed the drone attack, writing on Telegram: “Last night, the Kyiv regime carried out an attack on the Syzran Oil Refinery. Emergency services are on-site. According to preliminary reports, there are no casualties.”

However, Russia’s Ministry of Defense did not report shooting down any drones in the region.

Later, Russian media ASTRA reported that the Syzran refinery temporarily suspended operations after the drone attack, citing its sources.

ASTRA sources say an overnight drone strike on the Syzran oil refinery damaged the primary oil refining unit. The drone landed on the AVT-6 unit, followed by a 30-square-meter fire, and the enterprise temporarily suspended operations.

The Syzran Oil Refinery, owned by Rosneft, has been operational since 1942 and is located approximately 700 kilometers from Ukraine’s border. The facility produces gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, and bitumen, making it a vital asset for Russia’s military supply chain.

Earlier, strike drones attacked the Il’sk Oil Refinery near the village of Il’sk in the Seversky District of Krasnodar Krai.