Russia’s Largest Lukoil Refinery Hit Again in Ukrainian Drone Assault, Airports Shut Down

Ukrainian drones targeted Russia’s Volgograd region early on Monday, Feb. 3, with one of the drones striking the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka oil refinery, according to regional governor Andrey Bocharov. The attack sparked a fire at the facility after drone debris fell on the site.

The refinery suffered “local fires,” but they were quickly contained. No casualties were reported.

This was the second attack on the plant in recent days, following a drone strike on Jan.31, which also caused a fire. Lukoil facilities have become frequent targets of Ukrainian drone and cyberattacks.

On Jan. 15, a fire broke out at the plant, forcing the shutdown of its diesel hydrotreating unit. The cause of the fire remains unclear, though local reports suggest “something fell” onto the facility before an explosion occurred. Russian emergency services deny any “external impact,” and the Russian Ministry of Defense reported no drone attacks in the region.

The refinery, among Russia’s top 10 by production, processed 13.7 million tons of oil in 2023. The shutdown has cut its diesel production by half – roughly 10,000 tons per day.

Located in Russia’s Southern Federal District, the Volgograd refinery accounts for nearly 7% of the country’s diesel production. It also produces significant volumes of gasoline and fuel oil. However, the plant has faced disruptions before, with Ukrainian drone strikes causing shutdowns in February and May last year.

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Russia’s oil industry is under strain, with overall refining volumes in 2024 dropping to their lowest levels since 2012 – down 3.2% compared to the previous year.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that air defense forces intercepted 70 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions: 27 in Rostov, 25 in Volgograd, seven in Astrakhan, five in Voronezh, four in Belgorod, and two in Kursk. In Astrakhan, drones reportedly targeted fuel and energy facilities, including a gas processing plant.

As a precaution, six Russian airports—including those in Volgograd, Astrakhan, and Kazan—temporarily halted flights but resumed operations by morning. Later, three more airports in Vladikavkaz, Grozny, and Makhachkala were also briefly closed.