Russia’s Volgograd Oil Refinery Loses Key Processing Unit After Ukrainian Drone Strike

A strike by Ukrainian Defense Forces on the Volgograd Oil Refinery caused a fire in one of the plant’s critical technological units.

This was reported by Radio Liberty.

According to available information, the fire affected the AVT-1 unit, which handles primary oil processing. The unit purifies crude oil and separates it into fractions according to the refinery’s technological standards.

The AVT-1 unit is essential for the refinery’s operation — without it, full production is impossible.

The attack occurred during the night of February 11. This marks the ninth strike on the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka refinery since the start of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war.

The Dnipro OSINT Telegram channel reported preliminary damage to fuel and lubricant storage tanks at the refinery.

It is also noted that the plant’s flare lines are operating at full capacity, and the “purging” system was activated following the fire.

The strike was carried out by drones from the 1st Center of Unmanned Systems Forces.

Previous Attacks on the Refinery

The last attack on the facility took place on November 6, 2025. Drones reached the target despite local authorities claiming the threat was successfully repelled. Satellite imagery later confirmed the damage.

On September 18, over ten explosions were reported at the refinery, damaging equipment and forcing a temporary halt in production. On August 14, drone strikes disabled two process pipes and a primary refining unit.

In May 2025, night attacks damaged the ELOU-AVT-1 and ELOU-AVT-6 units and severed air cooler control cables. Earlier in the year, on January 31, a key unit caught fire after another drone strike.

In February 2024, drones hit the ELOU-AVT-5 unit, a key component in crude oil separation. The fire at that facility took more than three hours to extinguish.

About the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka Refinery

Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka is the largest petroleum producer in Russia’s Southern Federal District and a critical element of Russian fuel logistics.

Located closest to the front line among major Russian refineries, it plays a key role in supplying fuel to occupation forces in southern Ukraine and Crimea.

The refinery has a design capacity of nearly 15 million tons of crude oil per year. It produces diesel for heavy armored vehicles and aviation kerosene for combat aircraft and helicopters.

In addition to fuel, the plant produces lubricants essential for the operation and maintenance of military equipment. A recent modernization introduced a hydrocracking complex, increasing light petroleum product output and improving overall efficiency.