Drones strike one of Russia's largest oil refineries and chemical plant
One of Russia's largest oil refineries on fire (photo: Russian media)
Fires at Russian oil infrastructure intensified on May 20 as an oil refinery in the Nizhny Novgorod region and a chemical plant in the Stavropol region caught fire, according to OSINT analysts from ASTRA.
Oil refinery in Kstovo: Fire at key Lukoil plant
On the morning of May 20, residents of Kstovo in the Nizhny Novgorod region reported explosions and fire. Based on eyewitness footage, ASTRA analysts determined that the facility in the southwestern part of Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery was hit — most likely the ELOU-AVT primary oil refining unit.
This unit prepares crude oil and separates it into main fractions: gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, and other products.
НПЗ "Лукойл-Нижегороднефтеоргсинтез" знову атакований та горить у Кстово, - ЗМІ https://t.co/Tf4nDzB1cg pic.twitter.com/mE1zBTHSKa
— Цензор.НЕТ (@censor_net) May 20, 2026
Because of the attack, local authorities switched schoolchildren in the Kstovo district to remote learning and recommended not sending children to kindergartens.
What kind of plant is this
Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez is one of Russia's largest oil refineries. It mainly supplies fuel to the Moscow region.
Processing capacity is about 17 million tons of oil per year. The plant produces more than 50 types of products:
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Automotive, aviation, and diesel fuel;
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Petroleum bitumen;
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Paraffins and other products.
Strike on a chemical plant in the Stavropol region
Nevinnomysskiy Azot in the Stavropol region was also hit. It is one of Russia's largest chemical plants, producing ammonia, methanol, and technical acids — raw materials for explosives.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed the destruction of allegedly 273 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian regions, annexed Crimea, the Azov Sea, and Black Sea.
Only a day earlier, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck two important oil facilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained the importance of diplomatic strikes on enemy infrastructure. "The war is quite predictably returning to its native harbor," the head of state added.
