Russian officials reported drone strikes on the Saratov Oblast overnight on 10 August, with a local oil refinery apparently sustaining damage, Governor Roman Busargin said.
The Saratov oil refinery processes up to 7 million tons of crude oil annually, producing vital motor fuels and other petroleum products that supply a significant part of Russia's domestic market and military needs, having served as a crucial logistics hub since World War II.
The governor confirmed damage at an industrial facility following the drone assault. Busargin claimed debris from a downed drone fell in a residential courtyard, prompting evacuations to a temporary shelter organized at a nearby school. According to the governor's account, there was one fatality and several injured.
Local residents told the Russian propaganda outlet ASTRA that the Saratov oil refinery came under attack.
Russia's Defense Ministry reported intercepting 121 drones over Russian Bryansk, Belgorod, Voronezh, Stavropol, Kaluga, Tula, Rostov and Ryazan oblasts and occupied Crimea during the night.
The Saratov Oblast has faced regular drone attacks. On 1 July, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed that Defense Forces struck the Saratovgorsintez oil refinery in the Saratov region. Explosions occurred in Saratov and Engels on 5 July, where a Russian airbase is located from which aircraft launch strikes against Ukraine.
