Drones Strike Afipsky Oil Refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai

Drones struck the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai during the night of June 11, sparking a large fire at the facility.

The Krasnodar Krai operational headquarters confirmed the attack and resulting fire. The Exilenova+ Telegram channel published video footage from the scene.

The strike on the refinery, located in the town of Afipsky, began shortly after midnight. Local residents reported hearing drones flying overhead, followed by a series of explosions several minutes apart.

Videos shared online by eyewitnesses show air defense systems in operation and a large fire burning on the oil refinery grounds.

“Drone debris fell in the settlement of Afipsky. As a result, a fire broke out on the refinery’s premises,” the Krasnodar Krai operational headquarters said.

The Afipsky refinery is one of the largest oil refineries in southern Russia, with a processing capacity of more than 6 million tonnes of crude oil per year. The facility produces gasoline, diesel fuel, gas oil, vacuum gas oil, fuel oil, sulfur, and gas-condensate distillates.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the refinery has been targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes on multiple occasions. Most notably, it was attacked during the night of March 13–14.

The attack damaged the AT-22/4 processing unit, a key component of the refinery where the crude oil refining process begins. A fire in one of the unit’s columns and a gas leak from an adjacent pipe rack underscored the extent of the damage.

The strike is part of Ukraine’s broader campaign targeting oil refineries, fuel storage facilities, and other infrastructure involved in oil transportation and the supply of fuel to Russian military forces.

For example, the day before, drone attacks caused fires to break out at the Vtorovo and Lobkovo oil pumping stations in the Kameshkovo and Alexandrov districts of the Vladimir region.

In addition, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Kuibyshev Oil Refinery in Samara, Russia, after which several separate fires were observed on the refinery’s premises.

The oil refinery is one of the largest enterprises in the region’s oil industry and is part of PJSC NK Rosneft. The facility has a design processing capacity of approximately 7 million tons of crude oil per year.