Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces Hit Critical Equipment at Russia’s Second-Largest Refinery

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SOF), working with the Chernaya Iskra rebel movement inside Russia, struck a key ELOU-AVT-6 unit at the Kirishinefteorgsintez oil refinery (Kinef) in the Leningrad region, the SOF press service said.

“The successful special operations were preceded by clear coordination and planning between the Ukrainian SOF and the representatives of Chernaya Iskra,” the statement reads.

The ELOU-AVT-6 unit is used for desalting and the primary fractionation of crude oil. The figure ‘6’ denotes a processing capacity of six million tons per year.

During primary fractionation, oil is separated into kerosene, gasoline, diesel and fuel oil, which are later refined into finished products. Shutting down this unit halts the refinery’s downstream processing.

The strike also hit the LAB-LABS unit, which produces liquid paraffins and alkylbenzenes used in the manufacture of surfactants. The complex is the only facility of this kind in Russia and supplies all domestic demand for raw materials used in synthetic detergents.

The attack on the Kirishinefteorgsintez oil refinery (Kinef) was confirmed by regional governor Alexander Drozdenko. Local Telegram channels shared photos and videos showing the aftermath.

Kirishinefteorgsintez (Kinef) is Russia’s second-largest refinery, with an annual capacity of 21 million tons. Located in the city of Kirishi, it was built in 1966. The plant upgraded its ELOU-AVT-6 primary processing units in 2022.

This was the third reported attack on the Kirishinefteorgsintez oil refinery (Kinef) in 2025. In March, the governor said drones targeted the facility during a nighttime raid.

One drone was shot down on approach and another over the refinery grounds, with debris damaging a storage tank. In September, drones again struck the ELOU-AVT-6 primary oil processing complex.

By the end of September, nearly 40% of Russia’s refining capacity was offline, largely due to repeated strikes by long-range Ukrainian drones.