Overnight on 15-16 October, drones struck two separate oil refineries in Russia — one in Saratov and another in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod oblast — both supplying fuel for the Russian military, according to Ukrainian and Russian sources. The Ukrainian Army's General Staff confirmed the Saratov attack.
Saratov refinery hit overnight
Ukraine’s General Staff reported on 16 October that its forces struck the Saratov oil refinery in Saratov oblast overnight. The refinery, one of Russia’s oldest, supplies fuel to the Russian armed forces and processed about 4.8 million tons of oil in 2023. The General Staff said the strike was part of a broader effort to destroy critical elements of Russia’s military‑industrial base to weaken its ability to sustain aggression.
Russian Telegram channel Astra reported that during the night, explosions were heard across Saratov — a city located more than 600 km from the frontline in Ukraine. Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civil aviation authority, temporarily halted flights to and from the local airport because of the drone threat.
Videos posted by Ukrainian Telegram channel Supernova+ captured air raid sirens and what appeared to be a distant fire.
The Saratov governor also warned of a possible UAV attack. The Russian Ministry of Defense later claimed that air defenses allegedly shot down 12 drones over Saratov oblast.
This refinery has been attacked before. A previous Ukrainian strike overnight on 20 September set off a fire on its premises.
Drone strike hits Kstovo refinery in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast
A second attack occurred at the Lukoil‑Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery in Kstovo, more than 800 km from the front line. Open‑source intelligence Telegram channel CyberBoroshno geolocated photos showing the aftermath and identified the damaged structure as the L‑24/300 hydrotreatment unit. The installation can process 24 tons of raw material per hour, or about 300,000 tons a year. CyberBoroshno wrote that the destruction of such fuel infrastructure has already caused shortages.
Supernova+ published images of thick black smoke rising from the refinery area, confirming the location. Astra reported that residents described a fire in local chats, saying it was later extinguished. Russian officials made no public comments.
