Ukrainian drones set fire to oil refinery in Russia's Ufa
Drones struck the Bashneft-Novoil refinery in Ufa overnight, starting a fire and possibly hitting a second plant in one of Russia's largest refining hubs, reports said.
Ukrainian long-range drones struck an oil refinery in the Russian city of Ufa overnight into Saturday, 31 October, starting a major fire at the Bashneft-Novoil plant and potentially hitting a second, adjacent refinery, Kyiv Post reported, citing open-source analysis.
Residents reported hearing low-flying drone engines followed by loud explosions in the city's northern industrial district, according to Current Time. Open-source analysts at the group Astra concluded from eyewitness photographs that the strike had ignited a fire at Bashneft-Novoil, probably hitting the plant's L-35 catalytic reforming unit, which produces high-octane petrol components and the hydrogen used to desulfurise fuel, Kyiv Post and Ukrainska Pravda reported.
The monitoring group Crimean Wind said drones also struck the neighbouring Bashneft-UNPZ refinery, pointing to strikes on two plants within the same industrial cluster, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported. Bashneft, a subsidiary of Russian state-controlled Rosneft, operates three adjoining refineries in Ufa's northern industrial zone with a combined annual processing capacity of about 23.5 million tonnes, among the largest refining complexes in Russia.
Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsiya suspended all flights at Ufa airport after the attack, with precautionary restrictions also imposed at airports in Kazan and Samara, Kyiv Post reported. Local and regional authorities had not issued a statement on the strike or any casualties by Saturday, Novaya Gazeta Europe said; the extent of the damage was not confirmed.
Russia's defence ministry said its shot down 433 Ukrainian drones overnight across 19 regions, including Bashkortostan, where Ufa is located, without specifying how many were intercepted over the republic itself.
The Ufa complex was targeted in a previous fire on 21 September, following earlier long-range drone strikes, Kyiv Post reported. The attack came a day after Ukrainian drones struck the Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery in Russia's Samara region, the first such strike on a Russian refinery in nearly two weeks, after US President Donald Trump had urged Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian fuel infrastructure, citing global fuel prices.
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What we know
- 2+ outlets · Kyiv Post, Ukrainska Pravda Ukrainian drones struck Ufa's Bashneft-Novoil oil refinery overnight into 31 October, starting a fire, Kyiv Post and Ukrainska Pravda reported.
- 1 outlet · Novaya Gazeta Europe A monitoring group said drones also hit the adjacent Bashneft-UNPZ refinery, suggesting two plants in the same complex were struck.
- Official · Rosaviatsiya Ufa airport suspended all flights after the attack; restrictions were also imposed at Kazan and Samara airports.
- Official · Russia's defence ministry Russia's defence ministry said it shot down 433 drones overnight across 19 regions; no casualties have been reported in Ufa.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Whether both refineries were definitely hit; local officials have not confirmed the strike or the extent of damage.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Claims in this story
Claims tracker →- UnverifiedRussia's defence ministry· 31 Oct 2026
Russia's defence ministry says its air defences shot down 433 Ukrainian drones overnight across 19 regions.
Why it matters for Europe
Ufa's refining complex, among Russia's largest, has now been targeted more than once by Ukraine's long-range drone campaign against the country's fuel industry, which has drawn public criticism from President Trump over its effect on global fuel prices. The Ufa strike came a day after a similar attack on a refinery in Samara region, ending a roughly two-week pause in such strikes.
Sources
Reported by 7 reports from 7 independent outlets in 3 countries.
- Kyiv Post: Drones Hit Bashneft-Novoil Refinery in Ufa
- Current Time: В Уфе после атаки украинских дронов загорелся НПЗ
- Reform.news: В российской Уфе после атаки беспилотников загорелся НПЗ
- Novaya Gazeta Europe: Украинские дроны ударили по НПЗ в Уфе
- Ukrainska Pravda: В Уфі після атаки дронів горить НПЗ: імовірно, уражена ключова установка – ЗМІ
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What was hit in Ufa?
- Drones struck the Bashneft-Novoil oil refinery, starting a fire, and a monitoring group said a second plant, Bashneft-UNPZ, was also hit.
- Were there any casualties?
- None have been reported; local and regional authorities had not issued a statement on the strike by Saturday.
- Has this refinery been hit before?
- Yes. A fire was also reported at the Ufa complex on 21 September after earlier long-range drone strikes, Kyiv Post reported.
This article was written with AI assistance from 7 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.