Strike 1,400 km away: SBU drones attacked one of Russia’s largest refineries

On Friday, October 3, long-range drones of the Security Service of Ukraine attacked the Orsknefteorgsintez oil refinery in the Orenburg region of the Russian Federation. The enterprise is 1,400 km from the Ukrainian border.

The attack was reported by Ukrainska Pravda and RBC-Ukraine, citing their own sources in the SBU.

The Orsk refinery is one of the largest in Russia, with a capacity of 6.6 million tons of oil per year.

The company produces about 30 types of products – from gasoline and diesel fuel to jet fuel and bitumen. After the strike, columns of black smoke rose above the plant, and an evacuation of workers was announced. Local authorities urged residents to “remain calm” and not to panic.

“The SBU continues to cause serious damage to the Russian economy, working on the facilities of the Russian oil and gas industry. The reduction in petrodollar revenues to the budget directly affects the aggressor’s ability to continue the war against Ukraine. Almost 40% of the capacities of Russian refineries are already idle. We will continue to work to increase this figure,” said an interlocutor of hromadske in the SBU.

Due to the threat of new attacks, regional governor Yevgeny Solntsev announced the “Carpet” plan, and the operation of the airport in Orenburg was temporarily suspended.

As reported by the CyberBoroshno community, photo and video analysis shows that the attack was carried out by AN-196 “Feb” drones, first recorded in black. According to geolocation materials, the strike hit the LCh-24-2000 gasoline and diesel hydrotreating unit, which was modernized in 2014 to improve fuel quality and compliance with environmental standards.

This facility is the final stage of fuel production, so the attack could result in an even greater shortage of gasoline and diesel on the Russian market.

As a reminder, on October 2, powerful explosions were heard in the Russian Perm Territory – drones hit a branch of the Azot enterprise of the Uralkhim plant in the city of Berezniki, located 1,700 km from the border with Ukraine.

Earlier, SBU drones struck the largest Russian oil loading port of Primorsk in the Baltic Sea, and oil shipments have now been stopped.