A major fire broke out at an oil refinery in Ufa, the largest city and the capital of Russia’s Bashkortostan, in the early hours of March 3, according to reports from Russian Telegram channels. Residents claim they heard the sound of drones in the area before the incident.
Kyiv has targeted Moscow’s energy infrastructure throughout the Kremlin’s three-year full-scale offensive, hitting sites that supply fuel to Putin’s war machine or provide cash for Russian aggression.
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The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Bashkortostan confirmed the fire but did not specify its cause. Officials stated that the blaze started in the combustion furnace area of the refinery. However, they assured the public that there was no threat to nearby residents.
Surveillance footage published by Astra captured the moment of the explosion at 2:38 a.m. local time.
According to Ukrainian OSINT analysts, the explosion damaged the L-24-7 unit [oil distillate hydrotreating unit] and key oil storage facilities, causing a large-scale fire and severe damage to infrastructure. Reports suggest that two large steel storage tanks and main pipelines were destroyed, and a third tank also exploded.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense reported the destruction of seven Ukrainian drones overnight but did not mention any drone activity in Ufa. By 8 a.m. Moscow time, emergency officials said that the open flames at the refinery had been extinguished.
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The Ufa Oil Refinery, founded in 1935, was rebranded in 2012 as Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim. According to the Moscow Times, it operates as part of the Bashneft oil-refining complex, which processes 23.5 million tons of oil annually.
This incident follows a similar attack last May, when Ukrainian drones targeted Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat, one of Russia’s largest oil complexes in Bashkiria. While officials downplayed the damage at the time, reports confirmed the pumping station had been affected.
As investigations continue, questions remain about the cause of the Ufa refinery fire and whether drones played a role in the explosions.
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