The key facts

  • On October 30, a major fire broke out at the Novokuybyshevsk refinery after a drone attack and a series of explosions
  • Governor Fedorishchev spoke of a 'record number of drones' but did not comment on the strike against the refinery
  • According to WSJ, Ukraine suspended strikes on refineries until the US midterm elections on November 3

Fire after drone attack

A major fire broke out on Friday, October 30, at the Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery in the Samara region, following a warning about a drone attack and a series of explosions. This was reported by Russian Telegram channels cited by Euronews in both the Russian and English versions of the article. Photos and videos are circulating on social media that, apparently, show several tall columns of black smoke above the facility's territory.

The authorities' position

The governor of the Samara region, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, spoke about a 'record number of drones' during the attack on the region's 'civilian infrastructure,' but did not comment on the strike against the refinery. The publications contain no official data on casualties or the extent of the damage; Euronews notes that the story is developing.

Context: a pause in strikes on refineries and the August attack

The incident occurred against a contradictory backdrop: the day before, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukraine had suspended its strikes on Russian oil refineries under pressure from Washington, and that the pause is expected to last until the US midterm elections scheduled for November 3. According to the outlets, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Kyiv to stop such attacks, blaming them for rising global fuel prices, and earlier this month announced a controversial deal with Moscow on diesel fuel supplies. Against the backdrop of that report, the October 30 fire calls into question whether the pause is actually being observed; however, there is no confirmation of Ukraine's involvement in the sources — the attack has so far been attributed as 'Ukrainian' only on the governor's word, without an official statement from Kyiv.

What is known about the refinery

The Novokuybyshevsk refinery has belonged to Rosneft since 2007 and, according to the company, can process about 8.8 million tonnes of crude oil per year, and is also involved in aviation fuel production. The plant had already been hit by long-range strikes in August: at that time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian forces had struck the facility, located 1,000 kilometers from the front line, 'depriving the Russian war machine of millions of dollars in export revenue.'