Drones target oil refinery in Russia's Tatarstan region PHOTO / VIDEO / UPDATED

A fire broke out in an industrial zone in Nizhnekamsk, in Russia’s Tatarstan region, following reports of a drone threat and a series of explosions early on July 8, according to an OSINT analysis by ASTRA.

Eyewitnesses reported blasts and a blaze in the city during the early morning hours. At approximately 5 a.m., Mayor Radmir Belyaev warned of a potential drone attack targeting several cities in the region, including Nizhnekamsk, Zainsk, Yelabuga and Naberezhnye Chelny.

An ASTRA OSINT analyst said the TAIF-NK oil refining complex may have been among the targets. Footage shared by witnesses appears to show a drone descending near the facility, which is located adjacent to Tatneft’s TANECO refinery. The same industrial area also includes the large petrochemical plant Nizhnekamskneftekhim.

At around 7 a.m., Belyaev said the situation remained critical. “The massive drone attack on our district is not stopping. I urge everyone to pay close attention to warnings and take safety measures,” he said.

TAIF-NK is a major refining complex that processes more than 8 million tonnes of crude oil and gas condensate annually into Euro-5 standard fuels and jet fuel. Nearby, the TANECO refinery—operated by Tatneft—has a processing capacity of 16.2 million tonnes per year and is regarded as one of Russia’s most advanced facilities, with a refining depth of up to 99.6% and a high yield of light petroleum products.

The industrial zone also hosts Nizhnekamskneftekhim, a key petrochemical producer within the SIBUR group, which uses feedstock supplied by TAIF-NK and TANECO to manufacture synthetic rubbers, plastics and ethylene.

The Nizhnekamsk industrial hub has previously come under attack.

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Ukrainian monitoring channels have reported that Ukrainian drones attacked an oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, in Russia's Tatarstan republic.

The previous reported drone strike on the facility took place on June 12.

Later reports indicated that the Nizhnekamskneftekhim petrochemical complex in the city of Nizhnekamsk had also come under attack.

Videos and photos shared by local residents show multiple fires burning across the industrial zone. There are also unconfirmed reports that the TAIF oil refinery may have been affected.