Key facts
- One person was killed and four wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Samara region.
- The Kuibyshev oil refinery in Samara was hit by drones, causing fires and impacting fuel production.
- The refinery supplies fuel products to Russia's military-industrial sector and armed forces.
- Dozens of drones were shot down by air defenses in the Volga region.
- U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to stop targeting Russian diesel production.
One person was killed and four were wounded after Ukrainian drones struck civilian areas and the Kuibyshev oil refinery in Russia's Samara region overnight, according to local governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev.
Dozens of drones were also shot down by air defenses in the Volga region, which hosts strategically important facilities including oil refineries and military factories, Fedorishchev said. The mayor of Samara, Ivan Noskov, stated that air defenses had thwarted a massive attack on the city, which is more than 1,000 km southeast of Moscow.
The Kuibyshev oil refinery, located approximately 765 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, has a daily crude distillation capacity of up to 10,000 metric tons (73,000 barrels) and supplies fuel products essential for Russia's military-industrial sector and armed forces. This is not the first time the refinery has been targeted; Ukrainian strikes on June 10 previously suspended its operations. These attacks on Russian refineries have become a key aspect of Ukraine's long-range drone strategy, contributing to nationwide fuel shortages and a significant reduction in refinery output. Half of Russia's six largest diesel-producing refineries have either cut production or halted operations entirely in September.
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly called for Ukraine to cease its strikes on Russian oil refineries, stating that these attacks contribute to global diesel shortages, particularly as his administration's policies disrupt fuel supplies worldwide.