Ukrainian drones struck the Kirishi oil refinery in Russia’s Leningrad region overnight, sparking a blaze at one of the country’s largest fuel-processing facilities, Ukrainian and regional Russian officials said Sunday.
The refinery, operated by Surgutneftegas and producing roughly 17.7 million metric tons of crude a year (about 355,000 barrels per day), was hit amid a series of recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure that Kyiv says helps sustain Moscow’s war effort. Ukraine’s General Staff posted a photo of the fire and said explosions had been reported at the site.
Regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko said three drones were shot down in the Kirishi area overnight and that falling debris ignited a fire at the facility. He said no one was injured and that the blaze was extinguished. Russian officials did not immediately comment on the broader consequences of the strike.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it intercepted and destroyed scores of aircraft overnight, reporting that at least 80 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russia, occupied Crimea and the adjacent Sea of Azov. The use of drones has increased significantly on both sides more than three years into the conflict, and Kyiv has stepped up attacks on oil depots, refineries and fuel storage to degrade supplies that it says support Russian military operations.
The strike comes as parts of Russia have experienced gasoline shortages in recent weeks. Officials have blamed a combination of seasonal demand and sustained Ukrainian strikes for empty pumps and long lines at service stations. In response, Moscow announced restrictions on fuel exports, imposing a full ban on gasoline shipments until Sept. 30 and a partial ban affecting traders and intermediaries until Oct. 31.
Separately in the Leningrad region, Drozdenko said a diesel locomotive derailed during the night; the driver was trapped in the cabin and later died while being transported to a hospital. He said an official probe would examine the possibility of sabotage. In the Oryol region, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of the Ukrainian border, Governor Andrey Klychkov said a bomb planted along railway lines killed three people, including a member of Russia’s National Guard, after they inspected the track near the town of Maloarkhangelsk.
Multiple Russian drones that crossed into neighboring Poland on Wednesday prompted NATO to scramble fighter jets to intercept and shoot some down, an episode that reignited concerns among Western officials about the conflict spilling beyond Ukraine’s borders. NATO and allied governments have repeatedly warned of the risks of cross-border incidents and have increased air-policing and defensive measures in neighboring countries.
The Kirishi refinery is among Russia’s top three by output and has been a recurrent target in the campaign of strikes that Kyiv says is aimed at disrupting fuel supplies to Russian forces. Ukrainian officials have framed the attacks as legitimate strikes against military logistics; Moscow characterizes them as terrorism or acts of sabotage and has said it will respond to protect critical infrastructure.
There was no immediate independent confirmation of the extent of damage at Kirishi or the impact on Russia’s overall fuel production. Local emergency services and the refinery operator did not release detailed statements early Sunday. The incidents in Leningrad and Oryol are being investigated by regional authorities.
Analysts say attacks on energy infrastructure can have both immediate local effects—such as fuel shortages and distribution disruptions—and longer-term economic and logistical consequences, depending on the scale of damage and the duration of repair operations. Russia remains one of the world’s largest oil exporters, and any sustained disruption to refining capacity could have ripple effects on domestic supply chains.
Authorities in the affected regions said investigations into the rail incidents will continue and that emergency and security services remain on alert. Kyiv has not issued an immediate public claim of responsibility for the overnight strike on Kirishi, and the Ukrainian General Staff’s social media post described the events without attributing a specific unit or timing beyond "overnight".
The exchange of drone strikes and growing attacks on logistics hubs underscore the widening footprint of the conflict and the mounting challenges for regional security, humanitarian response and energy markets as the war enters its fourth year.