Ukrainian Drones Strike Major Russian Refinery in Bashkortostan, Fire Reported

Ukrainian forces have struck a major oil refining and petrochemical complex in Russia's Bashkortostan republic, according to Kyiv's General Staff. The overnight attack on the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat facility, located roughly 1,300 kilometers from Ukraine's border, caused a fire at the site. The complex is one of Russia's largest, processing up to 74 million barrels of oil annually into gasoline, diesel, and other products.

The regional governor, Radiy Khabirov, confirmed that a drone attack wounded two civilians and started a fire in an industrial zone of Salavat. Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, also reported a fire at one of its facilities in the area, though the company said no goods were being stored there.

This strike marks the fourth in three days in Ukraine's ongoing campaign to target Russia's vital oil sector, which serves as a key economic pillar for Moscow's war effort. Ukrainian officials say the attacks are intended to pressure the Kremlin into seeking peace, though there are no signs of that strategy succeeding yet.

In a related development, a Russian refinery in Orsk, hit by Ukrainian drones earlier this week, has suspended operations. The Orenburg region governor said key infrastructure, including foreign equipment, was damaged and repairs could take up to six months due to international sanctions.

The attacks come as Russia continues its own strikes on Ukraine. Officials reported that a wave of 133 long-range drones killed at least four people and wounded eight others overnight. One drone struck a passenger train in the Odesa region, killing the engineer and his assistant. Two men were also killed in Kherson.

Ukraine continues to press for more U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missiles to counter Russian ballistic missiles. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is asking the United States to sell 5% of its stockpile to help Ukraine through the next winter, but has so far obtained only 1%.