Ukraine has struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in a renewed wave of deep-drone attacks targeting critical energy infrastructure inside Russian territory, according to Ukrainian military officials.
The General Staff in Kyiv said an oil-refining unit at the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez facility near Kstovo in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast was hit on May 20, causing a fire. It is the second reported strike on the refinery within a week.
Residents in the area reported seeing drones approaching the industrial complex in the early hours, followed by explosions and smoke rising from the facility.
Independent Russian Telegram channels also circulated images purporting to show a blaze at the site, though the extent of the damage has not been independently verified.
The refinery, one of Russia’s largest, is reported to process around 17 million tonnes of crude oil annually and produces fuels including petrol, diesel and aviation fuel.
The strike forms part of a broader Ukrainian campaign targeting Russia’s energy sector, which Kyiv says directly supports Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine.
The Unmanned Systems Forces struck the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery
Operators of the @1usc_army and the @Raid_413 , in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine, carried out a series of strikes on the oil refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod region.… pic.twitter.com/YS7F7S1KQW
— 🇺🇦 Unmanned Systems Forces (@usf_army) May 20, 2026
In a separate series of reported attacks, Ukrainian forces also claimed strikes on command posts, ammunition depots and repair facilities in occupied parts of Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Ukraine’s military additionally said it struck the Nevinnomyssk Azot chemical plant in Stavropol Krai overnight, a major producer of fertilisers and industrial chemicals used in the manufacture of explosives and artillery shells. Local authorities reported air defence activity over the city, while residents described hearing explosions and seeing fires.
Russian officials said air defences had repelled the drone attacks and denied any significant damage, though independent verification remains limited.
Ukrainian drones attacked the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia, this morning.
After the attack, the refinery caught fire. This plant had already been targeted by drones on May 18. pic.twitter.com/WZpigoZllS
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 20, 2026
The facility has been repeatedly targeted during the war, underscoring Ukraine’s expanding capability to strike deep inside Russia using domestically produced drones.
The Kyiv Independent noted it could not independently confirm the full scale of the reported damage. Ukraine’s military has not formally commented on the latest wave of strikes.
Analysts say the sustained focus on refineries and chemical plants reflects an effort by Kyiv to disrupt Russia’s fuel supply chains, which are considered vital to its war effort in Ukraine.
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