Ukrainian Drones Hit Afipsky Refinery for 5th Time, Novoshakhtinsk Plant Reportedly Targeted

Ukrainian drones attacked Russia’s Krasnodar Krai early on Tuesday, Aug. 25, damaging an oil refinery, residential buildings, and a railway station, according to Russian officials. The village of Afipsky in the Seversky district was among the areas hit, regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.“At least 10 private homes were damaged. A fire broke out in one of them. The fire also broke out on the premises of an oil refinery. Firefighters and emergency services are currently working at the scene,” Kondratyev wrote on Telegram.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. He later said drone debris fell on the grounds of the Afipskaya railway station. The attack killed two people and injured two others, according to the governor. The Afipsky Oil Refinery is one of the largest refineries in southern Russia, with an annual crude-processing capacity of about 7.2 million metric tons (7.9 million tons). It produces gasoline, diesel fuel, gas condensate distillates, heavy oil residues, and sulfur. The Afipsky refinery has now been targeted by drones four times previously this year, according to available reports. Earlier strikes occurred on Jan. 21, March 14, June 11, and July 14. The attacks caused fires, including at the refinery’s tank farm. Rostov region targeted Ukrainian drones also launched a large-scale attack on Russia’s Rostov region overnight. According to the Ukrainian monitoring channel Supernova+, the Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery was among the targets. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine’s UN Envoy Demands Action Against Russia’s ‘Ballistic Terror’ at Security Council Andriy Melnyk told the Security Council that condemnations cannot stop Russian missiles and demanded sweeping sanctions against Moscow’s war machine. Rostov Region Governor Yuri Slyusar confirmed drone attacks on Novoshakhtinsk, Gukovo and Kamensk-Shakhtinsky. He reported damage to four private homes in Novoshakhtinsk and a forest fire but said there were no casualties. The Russian defense ministry reported that air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 148 aerial targets overnight over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, Lipetsk, and Rostov regions, Krasnodar Krai, occupied Crimea, and the waters of the Azov and Black seas. However, Ukraine has not yet commented on its possible involvement in the attacks. According to The Moscow Times, Ukrainian drones have attacked Russian industrial facilities more than 70 times since the beginning of 2026, disabling dozens of facilities. The outlet reported that five refineries have completely halted operations since the beginning of August: Permnefteorgsintez, Orsknefteorgsintez, Zapsibneftekhim, Saratov, and Volgograd. The disruptions have contributed to a decline in Russian oil refining, which reportedly fell to its lowest level since May 2002 at around 3.6 million barrels per day before recovering to about 4 million barrels per day in August. The refinery disruptions have also contributed to fuel shortages in parts of Russia, with some regions reporting limited availability of common gasoline grades. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.