Kyiv’s military intelligence agency on Saturday, September 13, confirmed that a Ukrainian drone struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries, located about 1,400 kilometres from the Ukraine border. The attack targeted Bashneft’s oil refining complex on the outskirts of Ufa, the capital of Russia’s Bashkortostan region.
Regional head Radiy Khabirov said on Telegram that one drone crashed into the facility while another was shot down. He described the incident as a “terrorist attack by aircraft-type drones” and reported that the strike caused only minor damage.
“There were no casualties or injuries. The production site sustained minor damage, and a fire broke out, which is currently being extinguished,” Khabirov said.
Videos posted on social media appeared to show a drone approaching the refinery before exploding in flames and sending a plume of smoke into the sky.
A source within Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency claimed responsibility for the operation. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted Russian refineries since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, aiming to disrupt Moscow’s oil revenues that help finance the war. The Bashneft refinery is among Russia’s largest, producing more than 150 types of oil products, according to a 2016 Kremlin statement.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday called on NATO countries to stop purchasing Russian oil as a means to exert additional pressure on Moscow. Despite sanctions and appeals, NATO members Turkey, Hungary, and Slovakia continue to buy Russian oil.
A wave of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refining capacity this summer caused temporary shutdowns at several key sites and contributed to rising fuel prices.
