Drones Target Russia’s Largest Oil Refinery in Kaluga Region, Igniting Fire

In Russia’s Kaluga region, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) targeted the Pervyi Zavod plant, engaged in oil refining, resulting in a fire, as reported by the region’s governor, Vladyslav Shapsha.

Initially, Russian Telegram channels reported several powerful explosions in the Dzerzhinsky district near the Polotnyany Zavod station around one o’clock in the morning of Friday, May 10. The operation of anti-aircraft defense was suggested.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing the characteristic sounds of several drones before a fire and smoke became visible in the area of the Pervyi Zavod local oil depot.

Pervyi Zavod is the largest oil refinery in the Kaluga region, located 300 kilometers from the nearest Ukrainian border and 140 kilometers from Moscow. It's the primary complex for processing commodity oil and gas condensate, with a nominal oil refining capacity of 1.2 million tons annually.

Shapsha confirmed that a UAV falling on the facility’s premises in the Dzerzhinsky district caused a fire, and operational units were dispatched to extinguish it.

“The fire has been extinguished. Preliminary data suggests no casualties. The extent of damage to the enterprise’s infrastructure is being assessed,” the governor said.

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The Russian Ministry of Defense reported repelling an overnight drone attack in three regions, allegedly destroying five Ukrainian UAVs. Specifically, three drones were targeted in the Bryansk region, one in the Moscow region, and one in the Belgorod region.

However, the report did not mention the Kaluga region, where a drone strike hit an oil refinery.

The Ukrainian side has not commented on this attack. Kyiv Post has contacted Ukrainian intelligence and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) for comment but has not yet received a response.

Previously, on the night of March 14/15, Ukrainian drones from the Main Military Intelligence Directorate (HUR) targeted the Pervyi Zavod plant. An HUR source informed Kyiv Post about the incident at that time.

Shapsha said then that four drones were shot down in the Dzerzhinsky district, with no casualties or infrastructure damage.