Russia’s Rear No Longer Safe as Drones Hit Key Petrochemical Plant 1,200 km Deep

Long-range strike drones hit a major Russian petrochemical facility in the city of Sterlitamak, according to the OSINT community Exilenova+ on April 15.

Multiple drones struck the site during the morning hours. The target is believed to be AO Sintez-Kauchuk or the nearby Sterlitamak Petrochemical Plant, both key elements of the region’s industrial base.

The facility is located in Bashkortostan, roughly 1,200 kilometers from Ukraine’s eastern border.

Russian authorities had not issued an official statement on the incident. There has been no confirmed information regarding the extent of damage, potential disruptions to production, or casualties.

The targeted facility is considered a significant part of Bashkortostan’s petrochemical cluster and is linked to larger industrial structures, including Bashneft. It plays a role in producing synthetic rubber and other materials used in both civilian manufacturing and military supply chains.

Facilities of this type typically manufacture components such as synthetic rubber, latex, and resins—materials widely used in tires, seals, insulation, and other products that can support defense production.

Separate reports indicate that the Sterlitamak Petrochemical Plant, part of the Roskhim holding, may have been directly hit. The enterprise specializes in producing butadiene-styrene and isoprene rubbers, critical for tire manufacturing and industrial rubber goods.

Russian air defenses reportedly attempted to intercept the drones over the industrial zone but appeared unable to prevent the strike.

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According to the Russian media outlet Astra, workers at the plant were evacuated following the attack. Local reports, citing city officials, said five people were inside one of the workshops at the time of the strike, but none were injured.

Earlier, Ukrainian Armed Forces targeted two oil rigs in the Caspian Sea as part of their efforts to weaken Russia’s military-economic capabilities.

According to initial reports, the attack struck the ice-resistant stationary platforms (LSP-2) at the V. Graifer oil field (formerly known as Rakushchinoe) and the LSP-1 platform at the Yuri Korchagin field.

The oil rigs, located in the northern Caspian Sea nearly 1,000 kilometers away from the front lines, serve as a critical link in supplying fuel and lubricants to Russia’s occupying forces.

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