Drone attack on Saratov: Russia closes airports, reports of fire at refinery
On the night of October 16, a series of explosions rocked Russian-controlled territory, with residents of Saratov reporting the sounds of explosions in the city. In response, Rosaviatsia announced a temporary suspension of air traffic at the airports of Saratov and Samara.
Liga.net writes about this.
Aviation service representative Artem Korenyako explained:
“Restrictions on departure and arrival have been introduced for flight safety reasons.”
According to reports on the ASTRA Telegram channel, residents of the region heard a large number of explosions and are sharing footage of fires and smoke.
Local governor Roman Busargin reported that the Russian Defense Ministry received a signal about the UAV threat. As a result, warning systems have been activated, and emergency services are on full alert.
According to the morning report of the Russian Ministry of Defense, 51 drones were reported to have been shot down or intercepted in night operations — 12 of them over the Saratov region.
In addition, Russian media reports that flight restrictions have also affected Tambov from 00:07 Moscow time. In some areas of the Penza region, the “Carpet” plan will be activated, probably related to countering UAV attacks.
Local publications hypothesize that the fire could have hit the Saratov oil refinery – one of the oldest refineries in Russia, known as “Cracking”, which is part of Rosneft and is located in the Zavodsky district of the city.
As a reminder, drones of the Security Service of Ukraine struck the Bashneft-UNPZ refinery in Bashkortostan (Russia), located approximately 1,400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
As reported, targeted drone strikes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Russian oil industry facilities are already having serious consequences for the economy of the aggressor country . Due to significant damage to the oil refining infrastructure, Russia has faced a fuel shortage and was forced to temporarily limit its exports. According to experts, the restoration of refining volumes may take at least until mid-2026.
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