Media: Fire reportedly breaks out again at Russia’s Orenburg gas processing plant PHOTO/VIDEO

The Orenburg Gas Processing Plant, recognized as the world’s largest gas chemical complex, was reportedly on fire again in the afternoon of October 20, eyewitness accounts and video footage circulated online confirmed.

Investigative outlet ASTRA analyzed the videos and confirmed that the fire appears to have occurred at the gas processing facility itself. The footage was reportedly filmed from within the plant premises, showing smoke rising from the site, Caliber.Az reports.

Despite these claims, the regional Ministry of Emergency Situations has denied that any fire occurred at the plant on October 20, according to statements carried by local media.

The conflicting reports follow a confirmed UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) attack on the same facility just a day earlier, on October 19. Orenburg Region Governor Yevgeny Solntsev confirmed the drone strike, stating that "some infrastructure was damaged" and that a workshop at the facility had caught fire as a result.

Located in the village of Kholodnye Klyuchi, the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant plays a critical role in Russia’s energy infrastructure. With an annual processing capacity of 37.5 billion cubic metres of gas, the facility is described as the world’s largest gas chemical complex.

As of January 1, 2025, gas transit to Europe from the Orenburg plant was suspended— a move with significant geopolitical and economic implications.

The news comes as Kyiv continues to escalate its campaign against Russian oil and gas infrastructure, a key source of Moscow's revenues helping to fuel its all-out invasion of Ukraine.

By Vafa Guliyeva