Ukraine strikes 16 Russian targets in 24 hours, hitting refineries, airfields and missile unit
Illustrative photo: The aftermath of a strike on a Russian oil refinery (Getty Images)
On the night of August 26, the Defense Forces of Ukraine struck one of Russia's largest oil refineries — Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod region, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Unmanned Systems Forces, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The General Staff confirmed that the strike caused a fire on the refinery's premises. The extent of the damage is currently being determined.
The Unmanned Systems Forces said operators of the 1st Separate Special Operations Center, along with other components of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, struck the Russian plant. The distance to the target from Ukraine's state border is about 800 km.
About the refinery
Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez LLC is one of the largest oil refining enterprises in the aggressor country and is part of the Lukoil group. Its capacity is about 17 million tons of oil per year.
The refinery produces motor gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel, fuel oil, bitumen, sulfur, and other petroleum products. It is involved in meeting the needs of the Russian military.
16 Russian facilities in one day
Zelenskyy emphasized that in just one day, Ukraine used "long-range sanctions" against 16 Russian facilities.
Over the past day, our warriors imposed sanctions on 16 targets in Russia. In particular, there were long-range responses against oil facilities – Russia’s oil wallet that finances the war. They also struck airfields, a missile unit, and infrastructure that is constantly used to… pic.twitter.com/AUix8TMQJi
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 26, 2026
"In particular, there were long-range responses against oil facilities – Russia’s oil wallet that finances the war. They also struck airfields, a missile unit, and infrastructure that is constantly used to launch attacks against Ukraine. Our sanctions also hit a military enterprise and Russian logistics," the head of state said.
The president stressed that the war must return to where it came from. He said Ukraine is responding to enemy strikes and doing so in a way that "the cost of the war for the aggressor inevitably rises."
Earlier, Fire Point reported that Ukrainian FP-1 drones simultaneously struck an oil refinery in the Nizhny Novgorod region and the largest Wildberries warehouse in the Tambov region during the night.
