Ukrainian drone strikes on petrochemical and oil refining facilities were reported again across several Russian regions. In the early hours of Tuesday, November 4, Ukrainian drones targeted LUKOIL-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez and SIBUR facilities in Kstovo, in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
Local media said production buildings and warehouses caught fire. Russian social media channels and regional outlets posted videos showing a bright glow and reported that the attack lasted for several hours. In official statements from company and government representatives, the incident was characteristically described as “minor damage” from falling drone debris.
Overnight, the Sterlitamak petrochemical plant in the city of Sterlitamak, Bashkortostan, was also hit from the air. The region’s head, Radiy Khabirov, confirmed the blast at the plant resulted from a drone attack, emphasizing it occurred due to “falling fragments” of downed UAVs.
“The Sterlitamak industrial complex was subjected to a terrorist attack by two UAVs. Using additional defenses and the enterprises’ security services, both drones were shot down. The debris fell in the industrial zone near an auxiliary facility. There were no fatalities; the plant is operating as normal,” he wrote.
A week and a half ago, Ukrainian drones struck a refinery in Ufa, the republic’s capital, targeting a crude oil processing unit at Bashneft’s refinery.
On Sunday, November 2, Ukraine’s military attacked oil terminals at the port of Tuapse. Oil tankers owned by both Russian and foreign companies were also targeted. Reuters later confirmed at least one vessel had been damaged.
Analysts say the near-daily strikes on Russia’s refining and chemical facilities aim to cut energy exports, disrupt logistics and undermine the Russian economy.
At the same time, experts note that while the attacks have sparked fires and localized production outages, they have not yet caused widespread disruption across the entire production chain, though they raise the risk of further fuel shortages on the domestic market.
