Ukraine's drone attack on Russian gas plants: Satellite images reveal aftermath
Photo: Ukraine strikes Russian gas plants (Getty Images)
Ukraine strikes the Novy Urengoy Condensate Preparation Plant
The strike on the Urengoy Condensate Preparation Plant on September 9 took place more than 3,000 kilometers from Ukraine, OSINT analysts noted.
FP-1 drones reached the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug for the first time and struck the deethanization gas treatment unit at the Novy Urengoy plant. The facility, operated by Gazprom Pererabotka, is located 18 kilometers from Novy Urengoy.
Photo: Aftermath of Ukraine’s strike on the Novy Urengoy Condensate Preparation Plant (t.me/kiber_boroshno/13477)
Experts note this is the longest-range target struck since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The strike is fundamentally different from attacks on oil refineries, as gas processing is the first link in the chain that turns unstable gas condensate into marketable products, researchers say.
The Condensate Preparation Plant has a designed processing capacity of about 19.5 million tonnes of raw materials per year. The deethanization gases are then supposed to be supplied to the Novy Urengoy Gas Chemical Complex (NUGCC), which produces up to 400,000 tonnes of low-density polyethylene annually, OSINT analysts noted.
According to estimates, this accounts for about 10% of Russia’s polyethylene and polypropylene production capacity, with total output of around 3.8 million tonnes per year.
Striking the deethanization gas treatment unit means disrupting the entire chain from condensate to polyethylene.
Strike on the Purovsky Gas Condensate Processing Plant
Ukrainian drones also struck the Purovsky Gas Condensate Processing Plant, a key processing facility operated by NOVATEK. It is located near the town of Tarko-Sale in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
Photo: Aftermath of Ukraine’s strike on the Purovsky Gas Condensate Processing Plant (t.me/kiber_boroshno/13477)
The drones hit the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) drying unit, which brings LPG quality up to international standards for export, experts say.
Without the unit, the products retain excess methanol and water, resulting in:
- non-compliance with export specifications;
- problems with storage and transportation.
The Purovsky plant processes all deethanized gas condensate from NOVATEK’s fields. In 2024, the facility processed 13.2 million tonnes, according to OSINT analysts.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Ukraine successfully struck the Novy Urengoy Condensate Preparation Plant on September 9. A fire broke out at the facility.
In addition, the Special Operations Forces reported the largest strike on Russian industry since the beginning of the war. The drones traveled more than 3,000 kilometers and struck two major Russian gas plants in Yamal.
