Drones hit Novokuybyshevsk refinery in Samara region, fire breaks out at plant

Strike on oil processing facility

On the night of 30 October, drones struck Novokuybyshevsk, located in Russia's Samara region. The attack resulted in a fire at the local oil refinery. This facility produces jet fuel for the Russian aviation sector.

Russian media, including the ASTRA publication and the monitoring resource Exilenova+, reported on the incident, also citing official statements from Russian authorities. An analyst from the ASTRA OSINT community, after analysing photographs taken by witnesses, confirmed that the fire engulfed the Novokuybyshevsk refinery.

Timeline of events and local authorities' response

Residents of the region began recording the sounds of explosions and the operation of air defence systems significantly earlier than the official threat alert was issued. The warning about the drone attack only appeared around 6:00 am, by which time hostilities were already ongoing. As a result, Samara airport was closed for arrivals and departures.

Local residents continued to report the presence of unmanned aerial vehicles in the city's airspace, while the fire on the industrial site gradually spread.

Characteristics of the targeted facility

The Novokuybyshevsk refinery has been part of the Rosneft corporate group since 2007. The plant's annual capacity is approximately 8.8 million tonnes of oil. Its product range includes over 20 types of petroleum products, including petrol, diesel fuel, bitumen, and jet fuel.

Attacks in other Russian regions

That same morning, drones also attacked other territories of the Russian Federation. Official representatives of the authorities issued the following reports:

• Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported the destruction of drones four times between 00:45 and 06:20. In total, according to him, 87 drones were allegedly heading towards the capital.
• The Governor of Kaluga region announced the downing of 94 drones during the evening and night.
• The Governor of Tula region, Dmitry Milyaev, reported 21 drones shot down.