Unidentified drones attack Russia's Samara region, two oil refineries targeted
Photo: drones may have been targeting two oil refineries in the region (Getty Images)
Overnight on January 2, Russia’s Samara region came under attack by unidentified drones. Two oil refineries may have been targeted, and a fire has already been reported in the regional capital, according to Russian channels.
According to local public channels, a drone attack alert in the region was announced immediately after the start of the new day (Kyiv time).
In local chats, residents from various cities across the region reported the sounds of UAVs and loud explosions. These reports continued from 00:00 through the time of publication.
At the same time, monitoring channels that regularly track strikes confirmed that unidentified drones were attacking the Samara region. They also suggested that the UAVs were likely targeting two oil refineries, the Novokuybyshevsk Refinery and the Kuibyshev Refinery. Footage circulating online indicates that something caught fire following the attack, though it remains unclear whether the blaze is at one of the refineries.
A little later, footage from Samara appeared online, closer to 1:00 AM. The video clearly shows a fire, though what exactly is burning remains unknown.
As of the time of publication, no official comments from local authorities had been issued.
Drone strikes on Russian oil refineries
On August 28, 2025, unidentified drones had already attacked the Kuibyshev Refinery. Local public channels reported that at least 29 drones struck the facility.
Shortly afterward, Russian outlets claimed that the refinery had completely suspended operations. The shutdown was also confirmed by Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation.
In addition, on November 16, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Ukrainian units had struck facilities of the Novokuybyshevsk Refinery in Russia’s Samara region. The plant is known to be one of Russia’s largest oil refineries, with an annual processing capacity of nearly 9 million tonnes of oil.
