Ukrainian Drones Attack Russia’s Bashkortostan, Smoke Spotted Near Ufa Oil Refinery

Residents of Ufa, the capital of Russia’s Bashkortostan region, reported a series of explosions on the morning of September 23, independent Russian news channel Astra reported.

The local air defense systems engaged incoming Ukrainian drones, which were launched in retaliation for Russian bombardment of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.

Following the explosions, an OSINT analyst from Astra examined eyewitness photographs and determined that a plume of smoke was rising in the immediate vicinity of the Ufa Oil Refinery.

However, the channel noted that the smoke could potentially be originating from a nearby thermal power plant (CHPP), leaving the exact impact site unconfirmed.

In response to the aerial threat, regional authorities declared a “drone danger” alert across Bashkortostan on the morning of September 23. Operations at Ufa International Airport were temporarily suspended, with strict restrictions placed on all arriving and departing flights during the attack, Astra reported.

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The airport later resumed its normal flight schedule, and the regional drone alert was officially lifted. As of the afternoon of September 23, local Russian government officials had not yet released a formal statement acknowledging the attack or detailing any potential infrastructure damage.

It was recently reported that a major fire continued burning at Rosneft’s Kuibyshev Oil Refinery in Samara following Ukrainian drone strikes, while three major oil refineries in Ufa preemptively depressurized their systems during a drone attack as well.

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