Ukraine Drone Strike Ignites Fire at Russian oil Refinery
A drone attack by Ukraine has struck a major oil refinery in northwestern Russia, triggering a large fire near St.Petersburg. Flames were visible above the Kirishi refinery, one of RussiaS largest, before being extinguished by responding crews. No injuries have been reported.
The strike targets a critical component of Russia’s energy infrastructure and its capacity to fuel military operations in Ukraine. The Kirishi refinery processes 355,000 barrels of oil per day, representing 6.4 percent of Russia’s total oil production. Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil facilities throughout the 3.5-year-long conflict, aiming to disrupt fuel supplies for the Russian army and diminish a key revenue stream for the Kremlin.
According to the Governor of the Leningrad region, the fire was caused by debris from downed drones – three in total, according to Russian authorities. The extent of the damage is currently unknown. Russia’s ministry of Defense claims to have intercepted 361 Ukrainian drones in the last 24 hours, including 80 overnight.
The attack occurred on September 14, 2025, and was amended with updated information later that day. Both Russia and Ukraine have acknowledged the incident.
