A large fire broke out at the "Lukoil" oil refinery in Nizhny Novgorod after an attack by Ukrainian drones. The affected facility is located near the town of Kstovo, about 20 km from the regional center.
Videos of large-scale flames, probably filmed by local residents, were distributed on social networks. According to various sources, the refinery itself was attacked, but others claim that the target was the storage facility.
Local authorities confirmed the attack only this morning. According to official information, the fire was not the result of a direct hit, but debris from a downed drone caused the ignition. Russian sources rarely acknowledge direct hits, with official reports stating that all Ukrainian drones were neutralized.
According to the regional administration, the debris fell on the Sibur-Kstovo plant. There were no injuries, and the fire is being extinguished by fire crews. According to the company's management, the staff has been evacuated, but the exact damage has not yet been specified.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that 104 Ukrainian drones were shot down over the country last night. The most affected regions are Kursk region (47 drones), Bryansk (27), Smolensk (11), Tver (7), Belgorod (4), as well as three drones shot down over Nizhny Novgorod and Kaluga regions.
Some regional authorities report discrepancies in the official data. Bryansk Region Governor Alexander Bogomaz said 33 drones were neutralized there, while Tver Region Governor Igor Rudenya said 29.
An interesting new element is that the state news agency TASS has begun collecting and summarizing data on damage from the attacks - something that was not the case until recently.
According to recent reports, Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that a residential building in Graivoron was hit, where one resident was injured. Four cars were also damaged as a result of the attack.
Drones also attacked a nuclear power plant in Smolensk Region, but according to authorities, the Smolensk NPP is operating normally.
TASS quoted Nizhny Novgorod Region Governor Gleb Nikitin as describing the incident as a "fire in the Kstovo industrial zone", without directly mentioning the refinery.