Drones Attack Oil Refinery in Russia’s Samara Region

On the night of January 2, Ukrainian strike drones struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Samara Region.

Local residents reported hearing explosions, and the Supernova+ Telegram channel shared footage believed to show a fire at the site.

The target was the Novokuybyshevsk Oil Refinery, which is owned by the state-run company Rosneft.

A drone alert was declared in the region shortly after midnight. By around 1 a.m., the first videos showing a possible fire at the facility began to appear.

“Novokuybyshevsk… oil refinery… The flare is burning. The communists’ tactic is to vent accumulated gas in case of danger,” the caption to the video published by Supernova+ reads.

Meanwhile, Russian social media channels reported that the residents heard more than ten loud explosions over the city of Novokuybyshevsk overnight. Witnesses also described bright flashes in the sky, suggesting that Russian air defense systems were active.

Videos circulating on social media show a fire burning at the Russian oil refinery that was targeted by the drone attack.

By morning, the defense ministry of the aggressor country reported that 64 drones had allegedly been shot down or intercepted, 20 of them over the Samara region.

As of the time of publication, local authorities had not commented on the situation. The extent of the damage to the facility as a result of the attack also remains unknown.

The Novokuybyshevsk Oil Refinery is part of PJSC NK Rosneft. The plant has a processing capacity of 8.8 million tonnes of crude oil per year (approximately 176,000 barrels per day).

It is the only producer in Russia of synthetic ethanol and para-tert-butylphenol (PTBF).

The Ukrainian Defense Forces have repeatedly targeted the Novokuybyshevsk Oil Refinery with drones. In particular, after a strike in October 2025, the plant suspended the production of petroleum products.