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Ukraine’s Drones Torch Strategic Lukoil Refinery in Volgograd—Russia’s Fuel Hub at a Standstill
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
A major fire broke out overnight at the Lukoil oil refinery in Volgograd after a drone strike, the regional governor Andrey Bocharov confirmed on August 19.
The governor said the region came under “a massive drone attack,” which triggered multiple blazes. “In southern Volgograd, falling UAV debris caused a fire on the roof of Hospital No. 16 and at the refinery,” he wrote on Telegram, adding that firefighters managed to contain the flames and that there were no reported casualties.
Residents said they heard explosions before the blaze erupted, and images circulating online appeared to show the refinery fire lighting up the night sky.
The strike targeted the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka refinery, the largest fuel producer in southern Russia and the seventh-biggest in the country, with an annual processing capacity of 14.8 million tons of crude. The facility has been repeatedly hit in recent weeks.
Russia’s aviation authority reported that Volgograd’s airport was temporarily shut down following the attack.
Just days earlier, on August 14, drones struck the same refinery, sparking a massive fire that forced a suspension of operations. Local residents reported seeing new plumes of smoke on August 16, which Russian media suggested may have been linked to a “technological accident” during repair work.
According to Reuters, citing industry sources, the Volgograd refinery has been taken offline at least until mid-September due to cumulative drone strikes that disabled three crude distillation units.
In 2024, the plant accounted for 5.1% of total Russian refinery throughput, underscoring its strategic importance to Moscow’s fuel output.
Earlier, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine estimated that strikes by the Defense Forces on Russian enterprises and infrastructure have reduced the Russian Federation’s revenues by $74 billion.
