Drone attack ignites fire at major Gazprom oil refinery in Bashkortostan PHOTO

A drone attack triggered a fire at the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil refining and petrochemical complex in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, according to open-source intelligence analysis by the independent news outlet ASTRA and local officials.

Thick plumes of smoke were observed rising above the facility in the city of Salavat. Eyewitnesses cited by ASTRA reported active air defence engagements during the incident: "The first explosions were heard at 9:10 local time. The attack is ongoing, air defence systems operating and sirens can be heard."

Confirming the incident, Radiy Khabirov, the Head of Bashkortostan, stated that unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) wreckage landed "in the industrial zone of Salavat," after which "a fire broke out."

The facility is among Russia's largest integrated refining and petrochemical complexes. In 2024, the plant processed approximately 7.2 million metric tons of crude oil, accounting for roughly 2.7 per cent of the nation's total refining throughput.

The complex has faced repeated disruptions from drone strikes over recent years. Operations were temporarily halted following an attack on July 14, while Ukrainian drones targeted the facility twice in September 2025, on September 18 and September 24. According to ASTRA, the September 24 strike inflicted notable damage on the plant's primary crude distillation unit, the ELOU-AVT-6.

The strike occurred against the backdrop of broader financial challenges for the facility. In November 2025, Russian media outlets reported that parent company Gazprom planned to divest the Salavat plant to offset corporate losses. Although the complex achieved a 13 per cent increase in revenue in 2024, totalling 302.8 million rubles (approx. $3.65 billion), its annual net profit plummeted nearly sevenfold to 4.4 billion rubles (approx. $53.1 million).

By Tamilla Hasanova