Ukrainian Drones Target Saratov Oil Refinery
The Ukrainian military launched drone strikes against the Saratov Oil Refinery in southern Russia overnight, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. This facility, belonging to the Russian state-controlled company Rosneft, is one of the oldest oil refineries in Russia, with a significant production capacity of 4.8 million metric tons annually.
Details of the Strike on Saratov Oil Refinery
This latest attack marks the fourth time Ukrainian forces have targeted the refinery this autumn. Independent analyses of social media footage confirmed that the refinery was indeed the target of the drone strike. Reacting to the situation, Saratov region Governor Roman Busargin informed the public via Telegram about heightened alert levels issued by the Defense Ministry concerning potential drone activity in the region.
Drone Activity Report
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that they intercepted 64 drones last night. The downed drones were situated across multiple regions:
- 29 over Saratov
- 29 over Rostov
- 4 over Volgograd
- 1 over Belgorod
- 1 over Stavropol
As a precaution, Saratov’s airport was temporarily closed during the attacks but reopened early the following morning. Additionally, the Ukrainian General Staff stated that strikes were also directed at Russian military logistics sites in the occupied Luhansk region, although no casualties have been reported from any of these actions.
Context of Ongoing Conflict
This event is part of Ukraine’s broader strategy to engage Russian energy infrastructure in retaliation to ongoing drone and missile assaults from Russia, particularly targeting Ukraine’s energy grid. While both sides have engaged in these exchanges of fire, independent verification of the incidents remains challenging.
