Ukraine's Special Operations Forces strike Russian Volgograd oil refinery and halt operations
Photo: Volgograd oil refinery halted operations after drone attack (RosZMI)
On the night of September 18, 2025, units of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SOF) struck the Volgograd oil refinery in Russia, halting its operations, the press service of SOF reports.
The refinery is the largest producer of fuel and lubricants in Russia’s Southern Federal District, processing 15.7 million tons of oil annually, which accounts for 5.6% of Russia’s total refining capacity.
Preliminary reports indicate that the attack triggered large fires at the facility, leading to a complete shutdown.
The refinery supplies fuel to the Russian military, including for logistics and combat operations.
The strike is part of a series of Ukrainian actions aimed at disrupting supplies to the Russian army. Similar attacks have previously targeted dozens of refineries and pipelines across Russia.
This is not the first attack on the Volgograd oil refinery. Earlier, on August 14 and August 19, 2025, Ukrainian drones had already struck the facility, causing large fires and halting its operations.
Strikes on oil refineries have disabled facilities responsible for at least 17% of Russia’s refining capacity, or 1.1 million barrels per day.
On September 18, drones successfully attacked Gazprom’s petrochemical complex in Salavat, located approximately 1,500 km from the Ukrainian border.
