Strike drones of the Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully attacked the Novokuybyshevsk Oil Refinery in the Samara region.
This was reported by the Russian news outlet Shot.
The attack took place on the night of April 18, 2026, after an air raid alert was issued in the region at 3:22 a.m. due to a swarm of drones.
The attack caused a fire to break out on the refinery’s grounds. Photos and videos from local residents show intense flames near the ELOU-AVT-6 (AVT-11) primary oil processing unit and thick black smoke rising into the sky, visible from dozens of kilometers away from the facility.
As of now, local authorities have not commented on the fire in the city or the heavy smoke.
The Novokuybyshevsk Oil Refinery is part of PJSC Rosneft Oil Company. The facility has a capacity of 8.8 million tons of crude oil per year (approximately 176,000 barrels per day).
In 2024, according to industry sources, the plant processed about 5.74 million tons of crude oil. The facility produced 1.10 million tons of gasoline, 1.64 million tons of diesel fuel, and 1.27 million tons of fuel oil. The plant remains Russia’s sole producer of synthetic ethanol and para-tert-butylphenol (PTBF).
This is not the first time Ukrainian forces have attacked this facility. In 2025 alone, drones struck the facility at least seven times.
The distance from Ukraine’s state border to the oil depot is approximately 780–900 km. Given that the drones were launched from deep within Ukrainian territory, the actual flight range significantly exceeds these figures.
In 2026, the refinery was attacked on January 2. At that time, local residents reported more than 10 powerful explosions and bright flashes in the sky around 1:30 a.m.
In addition to the Novokuybyshevsk refinery, the neighboring Kuybyshevsk refinery was also targeted.
The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation claimed to have shot down all 20 drones over the region, but footage of the fire at the facility appeared online.
