Key facts
- A fire reportedly broke out at the Novokuybyshevsk Oil Refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast overnight on Oct. 30.
- The refinery is owned by Russian state-controlled oil company Rosneft.
- The facility processes approximately 8.8 million metric tons of crude oil annually.
- The refinery produces aviation fuel, gasoline, diesel, lubricants and other petroleum products.
- The attack is seen as a resumption of Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
A fire reportedly broke out at the Novokuybyshevsk Oil Refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast on Oct. 30, following a suspected Ukrainian drone attack. Footage published by Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+ appeared to show widespread fires and drones in the vicinity. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the footage or the extent of the damage. This reported attack is being called a resumption of strikes on Russian oil refineries after an unofficial pause that began in mid-October. The Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 29 that Ukrainian units had informally suspended attacks following pressure from the U.S. administration, with the cessation expected to continue until after the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. The Novokuybyshevsk Oil Refinery, owned by Rosneft, processes approximately 8.8 million metric tons of crude oil annually and produces various fuels and lubricants. It has been targeted in previous Ukrainian drone attacks.