Massive Drone Strike Sparks Fire at Strategic Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery in Russia’s Rostov Region

A drone attack early on December 19 targeted the Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery in Russia’s Rostov region, sparking a fire, local officials confirmed on December 19.

Reports indicate that multiple drones struck the refinery, causing significant damage and setting parts of the facility ablaze. Videos and photos of the fire circulate widely on Russian Telegram channels and social media.

Head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrii Kovalenko stated that the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery, which was hit, plays an important role in the Russian defense industry.

The plant supplies diesel fuel and jet fuel to the Russian army. Its proximity to the border with Ukraine makes it important for Russian war logistics.

“The lubricants, fuel additives, and other products produced by the plant can be used both in the civilian sector and in the military industry. Therefore, this plant is a military target,” he added.

According to local residents, the refinery was bombarded by a large number of drones, with explosions and gunfire reportedly lasting for 40 minutes. Eyewitnesses described hearing small arms fire as Russian forces attempted to shoot down the drones, Russian media ASTRA reported.

The acting governor of Rostov region, Yuri Slyusar, confirmed that Russian air defense systems were active over Novoshakhtinsk and nearby Taganrog and Bataysk. He claimed the region faced over “30 drones and three missiles,” most of which were allegedly intercepted.

Preliminary assessments by open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts suggest that the attack may have damaged critical infrastructure at the refinery, such as the ELOU-AVT-2.5 oil processing unit.

The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed the strike, noting that this oil refinery was the only one operating in the Russian Rostov region, used primarily for supplying the Russian troops.

Russian Defense Ministry claimed that a total of 84 Ukrainian drones were launched on multiple Russian regions on December 19, including Rostov, Bryansk, Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, Tambov, and Krasnodar.

By morning, the governor announced that the fire at the refinery had been fully extinguished.

Earlier, Ukraine targeted one of Russia’s largest chemical enterprises, FKP “Kombinat Kamensky,” located in the Rostov region.