More than 20 Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s Leningrad region overnight on March 26, damaging industrial infrastructure near one of the country’s largest oil refineries, according to local authorities and Russian media reports.
Regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said air defenses were repelling the attack over the Kirishi district, where an industrial zone sustained damage. He added that there were no immediate reports of casualties but did not name the facility targeted.
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Local residents and Russian Telegram channels identified the site as the Kirishinefteorgsintez (KINEF) refinery – Russia’s second-largest by processing capacity.
Owned by Surgutneftegaz, the plant refines up to 20 million tons of oil annually, producing fuel and petrochemicals critical to domestic supply and export flows.
The strike marks at least the fifth known Ukrainian drone attack on the refinery since March 2024. A previous hit in late 2025 forced a temporary shutdown of its most powerful processing unit.
The latest attack follows a wave of strikes on Russia’s Baltic energy infrastructure. A day earlier, Ukrainian drones hit the Novatek terminal at the port of Ust-Luga, about 150 kilometers southwest of St. Petersburg, sparking a fire at a key gas condensate processing and export facility.
Ukrainian officials said storage and loading infrastructure were targeted in a coordinated long-range operation, while Russian authorities reported dozens of drones shot down and no casualties.
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On their way toward Russia’s northwest, some drones reportedly veered off course. One crashed in Latvia after entering from Russian airspace and detonated on impact, while another briefly crossed Latvian territory before returning.
In neighboring Estonia, a drone struck a chimney at the Auvere power plant near Narva after also entering from Russian airspace. No injuries were reported in either country.
Earlier strikes on oil ports in Primorsk and Ust-Luga on March 23 and 25 also reportedly forced a suspension of shipments, according to Reuters.
Together, the attacks may have disrupted up to 40% of Russia’s seaborne oil export capacity – roughly 2 million barrels per day – dealing a blow to one of Moscow’s key revenue streams.
A Reuters source said the strikes are complicating Russia’s ability to capitalize on a global energy crunch intensified by the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses shot down 125 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight across multiple regions, including areas near Moscow and occupied Crimea.
Flight operations were temporarily restricted at several major airports, including Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, and Domodedovo, as well as St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport.