Fires, Explosions Reported Across Russia as Ukrainian Drones Target Refineries, Ozon Hubs

Fires and explosions were reported at an oil refinery and an Ozon logistics center in Saratov, while industrial and residential sites were damaged in Volgograd, as Russian regions reported a new wave of overnight drone and missile attacks on Friday, Sept. 11.Fire reported at Saratov oil refineryA fire was reported at the Saratov Oil Refinery, according to an OSINT analysis by the Russian outlet Astra.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.News of the fire at the refinery in Russia’s Saratov region emerged early Friday morning. At around 2 a.m., Saratov Governor Roman Busargin announced a drone threat in the region.“Information has been received from the Ministry of Defense regarding an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) threat. Warning systems may be activated locally in areas of potential danger. All emergency services have been placed on high alert,” he wrote.An OSINT expert from Astra determined that the Saratov Oil Refinery was on fire. The cause of the blaze is not yet known. The facility has previously come under attack at least 16 times. PJSC Saratov Oil Refinery is one of Russia’s oldest oil refining facilities. Established in 1934, it has been part of the state-owned Rosneft group since 2013.The refinery processed 5.8 million metric tons of crude in 2024, accounting for about 2.2% of Russia’s total oil refining. It produced 1.2 million tons of gasoline, 1.9 million tons of diesel and 1 million tons of fuel oil.Previously, Ukrainian drones struck the Russian city of Saratov overnight on Sept. 8, damaging civilian infrastructure and several residential buildings and injuring 10 people, including three children, according to local authorities. Other Topics of Interest What Putin Hopes to Gain From BRICS in India – and Why He May Not Get It Putin wants BRICS to strengthen Russia’s global position, but India and other members are resisting Moscow’s push for a united anti-Western bloc. Astra, citing an analysis of eyewitness footage, reported that the apparent target was the Saratov Oil Refinery.The Saratov refinery has been targeted by Ukrainian drones four times this year, on March 21, May 31, July 8 and Aug. 2. Previous strikes forced the facility to halt oil processing. After the Aug. 2 attack, a Reuters source said repairs could take two to three weeks.Ozon logistics center also hitAstra later reported that an Ozon logistics center in Saratov had also caught fire.The OSINT expert identified the burning facility as an Ozon logistics center, while Astra readers confirmed the report, saying a fire broke out in the building following a drone attack and that workers had been evacuated. Later, Busargin reported that the drone attack had caused damage to civilian infrastructure in Saratov.“All emergency services are working at the site. Preliminary reports indicate there are no casualties,” he said. Ozon said its workers had been promptly evacuated and that the company’s operations in the region would be partially restricted in the near future. Ukrainian drones began targeting Ozon warehouses in late August. To date, seven hubs have been hit across the Samara, Rostov and Belgorod regions, as well as Krasnodar Krai, Bashkortostan and Dagestan.Volgograd refinery reportedly damagedMeanwhile, Volgograd Region Governor Andrey Bocharov reported that an industrial facility in Volgograd had been damaged in what he described as a Ukrainian missile attack.“Debris was recorded falling on the grounds of an industrial facility in southern Volgograd,” Bocharov said.Emergency services were working at the scene and carrying out cleanup operations.According to the Ukrainian monitoring channel Supernova+, the facility hit was the Lukoil-owned Volgograd Oil Refinery. Bocharov also said that an apartment building on Geroev Maloy Zemli Street in Volgograd’s Krasnoarmeysky District was damaged during the attack. Two men, aged 55 and 42, were hospitalized with injuries.Additionally, the Ukrainian monitoring Telegram channel Exilenova+ reported that local residents heard explosions in Kaspiysk (Dagestan) and Samara. In Kaspiysk, the port was reportedly targeted. The city administration posted advice on Telegram about how to act during drone attacks but has provided no further information so far.Supernova+ reported that an Ozon warehouse was the target of drones in Samara. However, there is currently no information indicating that the facility was actually hit. As of now, the Russian Defense Ministry has not reported the number of downed UAVs, and the Ukrainian side has not commented on its involvement in the attacks.Refinery shutdowns and fuel restrictions force Russia to seek gasoline abroadUkrainian drones have struck Russian oil refineries at least 70 times since the beginning of 2026, pushing the country’s refining output to its lowest level in two decades.By the end of August, gasoline production covered only around 70% of domestic demand, leaving a shortfall of roughly 30,000 tons per day.At least 17 Russian regions have introduced restrictions on fuel sales, including limits of 30–40 liters per vehicle and “odd-even” systems based on license plate numbers.At least seven Russian refineries fully or partially halted production in August following drone attacks.On Sept. 2, the KINEF refinery in Leningrad Oblast – Russia’s second-largest refinery by capacity – completely halted processing.The worsening shortage has now forced Russia to take an unprecedented step: importing gasoline by sea. Russian authorities have begun importing fuel from India, Morocco and Turkey while also increasing gasoline purchases from Belarus to record levels.