Fire erupts at Lukoil refinery in Russia's Kstovo after reported attack PHOTO / VIDEO

The Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery caught fire following an attack in the Russian city of Kstovo on the morning of May 20, according to OSINT analysts from the ASTRA agency.

Residents reported explosions and a large fire at the facility. Local authorities stated that, due to the incident, schoolchildren in the Kstovo district have been moved to remote learning, while attendance at kindergartens has been temporarily discouraged.

ASTRA reported that the strike hit the southwestern section of the refinery, likely affecting the ELOU-AVT unit. This key installation handles primary oil processing by separating crude oil into essential fractions, including straight-run gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, vacuum gas oil, and fuel oil.

The refinery had previously come under attack in April 2026.

The facility is one of Russia’s major oil processing plants and plays a significant role in supplying fuel to the Moscow region. It has a primary refining capacity of approximately 17 million tons per year and produces more than 50 types of petroleum products, including automotive, aviation, and diesel fuels, as well as bitumen, paraffins, and other derivatives.

By Tamilla Hasanova