Ukrainian drones carried out overnight strikes on two key Russian energy facilities, targeting an oil refinery in Volgograd and a gas processing plant in Astrakhan, a source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent on February 3.
Operated by the SBU and Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, the drones targeted several critical points at the Volgograd oil refinery, including the flare farm, two primary processing units, and two technological units. The refinery, owned by Lukoil, is one of Russia’s largest oil producers, processing nearly 6% of the country’s total oil supply, according to the source.
In Astrakhan, the attack targeted the gas condensate processing complex at the Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant. The facility reportedly stopped operations as a fire continued to burn following the strike.
Both locations are considered major fuel suppliers for the Russian military.
Following the strikes, Russian authorities reported drone attacks and fires in Volgograd and Astrakhan oblasts. While initially stopping short of attributing blame, Ukraine’s General Staff later confirmed responsibility for the attacks.
Ukrainian media outlets have not independently verified the extent of the damage.
These latest strikes mark the fifth Ukrainian attack on Russian energy infrastructure in 2025, the source said. Just days earlier, on January 31, Ukrainian drones hit the same Volgograd oil refinery owned by Lukoil.
In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have also launched drone strikes on several key targets.
One of them was the Ryazan Oil Refinery, one of Russia’s largest, which was later forced to suspend operations due to damage. Another target was a distillery in Tambov Oblast, reportedly a production site for military-grade ethanol. Additionally, a chemical plant in Bryansk, which is part of Russia’s broader industrial war supply chain, was also hit.
