Ukrainian Drones Hit Key Lukoil Refinery in Volgograd – Fuel Queues Reported

Ukrainian drones struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries overnight on Nov. 13, sparking a fire at the facility and killing four workers, as Kyiv continues its campaign against Moscow’s oil infrastructure. Volgograd Region Governor Andrey Bocharov confirmed a massive drone attack on the region, saying falling UAV debris had caused localized fires at an industrial facility in Volgograd’s southern industrial zone and surrounding areas.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Four employees of the industrial zone were killed and two others injured, Bocharov said. Images and videos from local residents, reviewed by the independent Russian outlet Astra, indicate that the drones targeted the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka refinery, located within the city limits. A fire broke out at the facility following the attack. The refinery is among Russia’s 10 largest oil processing plants, with an annual capacity of approximately 14 million metric tons of crude – around 5% of the country’s total refining capacity. The overnight attack also triggered concerns over fuel supplies, with queues reportedly forming at gas stations across Volgograd. Videos shared by Astra showed motorists lining up to refuel in the early hours of Friday. Repeated strikes on a major Russian oil hub The Nov. 13 attack is the latest in a series of Ukrainian strikes targeting the strategically important refinery. On Oct. 2, Ukrainian drones struck the facility, damaging equipment and forcing it to suspend crude processing entirely. Other Topics of Interest The Omsk refinery was hit in July and October; after the first strike, the SSO said it halted processing for repairs. The refinery was also targeted on May 29, when Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed damage to four primary crude distillation units – AVT-1, AVT-3, AVT-5 and AVT-6 – as well as secondary processing equipment. The plant halted production following the strike. Reuters subsequently reported, citing industry sources, that the attack had forced the refinery to suspend crude processing, with several major processing units shut down. In February, another Ukrainian drone attack sparked a fire at the Lukoil facility. The strike marked at least the ninth attack on the refinery since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukraine also struck the facility in November 2025. Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces had targeted the refinery as part of a wider campaign against Russian energy infrastructure. The refinery is a strategically important supplier of gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel to Russia’s southern regions and the Black Sea Fleet. Its petroleum products are also exported through transport hubs on the Caspian and Black seas. Ukraine’s drone campaign deepens Russia’s fuel crisis The latest strike comes amid an intensifying Ukrainian campaign against Russian oil infrastructure. Since resuming large-scale attacks on Russian refineries in late October, Ukraine’s Armed Forces have struck nine of the country’s 35 major refineries in approximately two weeks. Targets have included facilities in Novokuibyshevsk, Ryazan, Afipsky, Saratov, Yaroslavl, Omsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Ufa and Kirishi. The attacks have cut Russia’s overall oil refining throughput by approximately 30% compared with late October, Reuters reported, citing industry sources. Russian refineries were processing around 700,000 metric tons (5 million barrels) of crude per day in late October. By mid-November, that figure had fallen to approximately 500,000 metric tons daily. The disruption has already contributed to gasoline shortages at filling stations in at least eight Russian regions. Sales restrictions have been introduced in the Leningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Arkhangelsk, Novosibirsk and Penza regions, as well as in Karelia and Buryatia. In Moscow, fuel limits have returned at Rosneft gas stations, with motorists allowed to purchase no more than 50 liters per vehicle and 20 liters per canister. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.