Drones reportedly attacked Ufa on Monday morning, one of Russia’s largest oil-refining centers, potentially striking infrastructure operated by Bashneft about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
The first reports of the attack emerged early on Monday after Russian monitoring channels said authorities had declared a drone alert across Bashkortostan.
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Petro Andriushchenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for the Study of Occupation, said preliminary information indicated that one of Bashneft’s oil refineries may have been targeted, according to RBC-Ukraine.
“Ufa is under attack. According to preliminary information, one of the Bashneft refineries was targeted,” Andriushchenko wrote on Telegram.
Russian authorities temporarily restricted operations at Ufa International Airport during the drone alert. As a result, the airport stopped accepting and dispatching flights.
Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan, is a major center of Russia’s oil-processing industry. The city is home to three refineries operated by Bashneft: Bashneft-UNPZ, Bashneft-Novoil, and Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim.
The facilities, owned by Russian state-controlled oil giant Rosneft, form a single sprawling refining complex with a combined annual processing capacity exceeding 23 million metric tons (25 million US tons) of crude oil.
The plants produce gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation kerosene, lubricants, and other petroleum products. Their distance from Ukraine highlights the growing reach of long-range drones used in attacks against Russia’s energy industry.
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