Russian oil refinery erupts in flames after drone attack in Samara region
Photo: Fire breaks out at Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery following drone attack (t.me/mchs_official)
Drones attacked Novokuibyshevsk in Russia's Samara region overnight on October 30. A fire broke out at the site of a local oil refinery that produces jet fuel for Russian military aircraft following the attack, according to Russian outlet ASTRA, monitoring channel Exilenova+, and statements by Russian authorities.
Local residents reported explosions and air defense activity even before an official drone attack warning was issued in the region. The authorities only declared a drone threat at around 6 a.m., by which time the attack was already underway. Samara Airport was closed.
The fire at the refinery continued to spread, while residents kept reporting drones flying over the city. An OSINT analyst with ASTRA used photographs taken by eyewitnesses to establish that the Novokuibyshevsk refinery was on fire.
The Novokuibyshevsk Oil Refinery has been part of the Rosneft group since 2007. It has a processing capacity of approximately 8.8 million metric tons of oil per year. The facility produces more than 20 types of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, bitumen, and jet fuel for Russian military aircraft.
Drones also targeted other Russian regions that same morning. According to statements by local authorities:
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Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported shooting down drones four times between 12:45 a.m. and 6:20 a.m., claiming that a total of 87 drones had been heading toward the capital.
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The governor of the Kaluga region reported that 94 drones had been shot down overnight.
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Tula Region Governor Dmitry Milyaev reported 21 drones.
Large-scale drone attacks on Russia have continued for several consecutive nights. On the evening of October 28 and overnight into October 29, drones attacked Moscow, with Sobyanin claiming that more than 50 drones had been shot down.
The October 29 attack also disrupted air traffic, with more than 460 flights delayed or canceled at airports in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo were the worst affected, while Pulkovo Airport received planes that were unable to land in Moscow.
For comparison, following the October 24 attack, more than 210 flights were disrupted at Moscow airports.
