Ukraine strikes one of Russia's top oil refineries, causing explosions and sparking fire

Published on 14/09/2025 - 18:59 GMT+2

Ukrainian drones struck 1 of Russia’s largest lipid refineries overnight into Sunday, causing explosions and sparking a fire, according to some Ukraine’s subject and Russian officials.

The onslaught targeted nan Kirishi refinery, successful Russia's northwestern Leningrad region, and is nan latest successful a drawstring of Ukrainian attacks targeting Russian lipid infrastructure, which Kyiv says fuels nan Kremlin’s full-scale penetration of Ukraine..

The facility, operated by Russian lipid elephantine Surgutneftegas, produces adjacent to 18 cardinal metric tonnes of crude lipid per year, and is 1 of Russia's apical 3 accommodation by output.

According to Ukraine’s General Staff, explosions and a occurrence were reported astatine nan Kirishi refinery. It posted a photograph appearing to show a blaze and clouds of fume against a nighttime sky.

Russian officials opportunity they intercepted complete 80 Ukrainian drones successful nan skies crossed nan state successful nan early hours of Sunday.  

Leningrad Governor Alexander Drozdenko said 3 drones were downed supra Kirishi area, and says nan occurrence was caused by nan falling debris. Drozdenko noted that nary civilians were injured aliases killed successful nan attacks, adding that nan occurrence has besides been put out.

Russian officials did not nevertheless remark connected nan grade of harm nan installation suffered.

The onslaught besides comes conscionable 1 time aft US President doubled down connected his earlier warnings of superior repercussions for countries that proceed to acquisition Russian oil.

On Saturday, Trump warned Washington’s NATO friends pinch tariffs, ranging betwixt 50 to 100 per cent, if specified purchases don’t stop.

The 47th US president says it’s important to choke what he declared arsenic 1 of Russia’s superior backing sources for its warfare successful Ukraine, to unit nan Kremlin to nan negotiating table.

Trump has already met pinch some Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy past period to research ways to present connected his run committedness of ending nan war, but has expressed vexation astatine nan velocity of progress.

Russia remains nan world’s 2nd largest lipid exporter, but a seasonal emergence successful request and sustained Ukrainian drone strikes person caused gasoline shortages successful caller weeks.

Gas stations person tally barren successful immoderate regions of nan country, pinch motorists waiting successful agelong lines and officials resorting to rationing aliases cutting disconnected income altogether.

To effort to easiness nan shortage, Russia has paused gasoline exports, pinch officials declaring connected Wednesday a afloat prohibition until 30 September and a partial prohibition affecting traders and intermediaries until 31 October.