Blaze erupts at oil refinery in Russia's Ufa following reported drone attack PHOTO

A fire has been reported at the Bashneft–Novoil refinery in Ufa, a city in Russia’s Bashkortostan region, following an alleged drone attack, according to open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysis by the outlet ASTRA.

Citing its sources, ASTRA said drones targeted the northern industrial zone of Ufa, where several major refining facilities are located. An OSINT analyst concluded that the strike triggered a fire at the Bashneft–Novoil plant.

Bashneft operates three large refineries in the area — Bashneft–Ufaneftekhim, Bashneft–Novoil and Bashneft–UNPZ — situated in close proximity and forming the Ufa refining complex. The site is one of the largest oil-processing hubs in Russia, with a combined refining capacity of approximately 23.5 million tonnes of crude annually.

The facilities have been repeatedly targeted in recent months. A fire broke out at Bashneft–UNPZ following a reported drone strike on August 2, while a separate attack on August 1 set ablaze the Bashneft–Ufaneftekhim refinery. The industrial zone had also been struck in late June and early July.

Regional authorities had not issued immediate comment on the reported attack at the time of publication.

In June, Bashkortostan’s head Radiy Khabirov said the region was deploying nearly 100 mobile fire units to counter drone threats.

“We have already, let’s say, bristled quite seriously. But Ukraine is sophisticated, Ukraine is active. And our republic is, of course, an obvious target. We are preparing for defense,” Khabirov said.

By Tamilla Hasanova