Ukrainian Forces Hit Key Russian Oil Refinery in Double-Staged Operation with Homegrown Missiles

[UPDATES] As of 10:15 a.m., Kyiv Post sources within Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) confirmed that the attack on the Novoshakhtinsky Oil Refinery in Russia’s Rostov Region was a joint operation between the SBU and the Ukrainian Naval Forces.

According to the sources, the operation unfolded in two stages. First, SBU drones overwhelmed the Russian air defense systems protecting the refinery, creating a critical “window of opportunity.” This allowed Ukrainian-produced jet-powered missiles, coordinated by the SBU and the Navy, to successfully strike the facility in the next phase.

The attack triggered a large-scale fire, with videos showing multiple sources of ignition across a wide area. The ELOU-AVT-2.5 unit, which produces liquefied petroleum gases, was reportedly hit in the assault.

Preliminary assessments indicate that the strike caused substantial damage to the refinery’s production facilities.

“Today’s special operation utilized unmanned aerial vehicles and Ukrainian-made missiles,” a source within the SBU stated. “This demonstrates the effectiveness and power of Ukrainian weaponry, as well as its ability to disrupt enemy logistics supporting the war against Ukraine.”

A Ukrainian drone attack targeted the Novoshakhtinsky oil products plant early morning on Thursday, Dec. 19, the largest refinery in southern Russia, located about 100 kilometers from Rostov-on-Don. The attack triggered a fire, which was later extinguished, according to Yuri Slyusar, acting governor of the Rostov region.

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“Emergency rescue units responded to the scene after the fire broke out due to falling drone fragments,” Slyusar reported on Telegram.

Witnesses, cited by Astra Telegram channel, described a “sea of explosions, “ gunfire lasting about 40 minutes and the sound of the “downed missiles”. Mash, a Russian media outlet, claimed the fire started when debris from a destroyed drone landed at the facility.

The Novoshakhtinsky Refinery, the only one in the Rostov region, has a capacity of 5.6 million tons and produces a range of fuels. This is not its first attack; a similar incident in June caused a fire, and operations were previously halted in March due to another drone strike.

The Dec. 19 attack was part of a broader wave of strikes. Slyusar reported that over 30 drones and three missiles targeted several areas in the Rostov region, including Taganrog, Bataysk, and Shakhty.

Most were intercepted, according to the acting governor. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have destroyed 36 drones but made no mention of missile attacks.

The broader wave of attacks on Russian refineries has significantly impacted operations. According to Reuters, idle refining capacity in Russia surged to 2.7 million tons in November, with year-to-date downtime rising by 17% compared to the previous year.

Russia is struggling to repair damaged refineries. Production delays and breakdowns have impacted several major facilities, including the NORSI refinery, Volgograd Lukoil refinery, and others, largely due to reliance on technology from Western companies that are no longer accessible.