Ukrainian Drones Hit Oil Refinery in Russia's Bashkortostan

Ukrainian drones targeted an oil refinery and a residential building in Russia's Bashkortostan republic overnight into Wednesday, according to regional head Radiy Khabirov. At least one person was injured in the attack.

Khabirov said air defense systems intercepted four of the six drones sent toward the region. One of the drones that got through sparked a fire at an oil refinery in Ufa, the regional capital, striking a unit that was undergoing scheduled maintenance.

Damage assessment underway

Speaking to the state news agency TASS, Khabirov said officials were still evaluating the extent of the damage but that early findings pointed to the maintenance unit as the affected area. He noted that, as is typically the case, falling debris damaged nearby pipes, resulting in only minor harm. He said he expected repairs to be completed within a couple of days.

A second drone crashed into an apartment building in northern Ufa, blowing out windows on the upper floors and damaging vehicles parked nearby. One person was hospitalized with injuries from the strike. Social media footage showed smoke rising from the blackened exterior of the residential building.

A key refining hub far from the front line

Bashkortostan lies more than 1,000 kilometers from Ukraine's border but remains one of Russia's major oil-refining centers, and Ukrainian forces have repeatedly struck energy facilities there.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported intercepting 453 Ukrainian drones across the country and annexed Crimea between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Separately, Ukrainian officials said at least six people were killed in Russian strikes on the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.