By Alisa Orlova,Kateryna Zakharchenko

Copyright kyivpost

Long-range drones operated by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) struck the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat plant in Russia’s Bashkortostan region, nearly 1,400 kilometers from Ukraine, sources within the SBU told Kyiv Post.

According to the sources, the drones targeted the refinery’s ELOU-AVT-4 unit, described as the “heart” of the facility. The installation processes crude oil into gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and fuel oil.

The strike triggered a massive fire and sent a black column of smoke rising over the site.

Regional authorities in Bashkortostan confirmed the refinery was damaged, while independent outlet Meduza reported that emergency services were battling the blaze.

“SBU is systematically cutting off the flow of petrodollars [petroleum dollars] to Russia’s war budget. Every strike on a Russian refinery reduces the aggressor’s ability to wage war against Ukraine,” the SBU source told Kyiv Post.

The attack followed another strike earlier this week. Ukrainian special operations forces hit a major oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov region overnight on Sept. 16, setting off explosions and igniting a fire at the site, Ukraine’s General Staff said.

The refinery processes millions of tons of crude annually and produces more than 20 types of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, bitumen, fuel oil, vacuum gas oil, and sulfur. In 2023, it processed about 4.8 million tons of crude oil, Ukrainian officials said.

Military officials in Kyiv said the facility directly supplies the Russian Armed Forces and described the strike as part of broader efforts to degrade Moscow’s war economy.

On Monday, Kyiv Post reported that Ukraine’s avowed campaign to destroy all Russian oil production capacity zeroed in on Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg over the weekend.

Heavy drone attacks hit an oil refinery, sanctioned oil tankers and the seaport where they were moored, along with a fuel train in a behind-the-lines commando raid.

Starting late on Friday night operators from Ukraine’s 14th Unmanned Aircraft Regiment kicked off one of the most massive swarm air raids of the entire war, over the next four hours launching 220-230 long-range drones at targets across Russia.

Approximately 30 kamikaze drones headed for Russia’s northwestern Leningrad region, and shortly after midnight dived one after the other on the Primorsk oil-pumping station.

In past strikes beyond 800 kilometers (500 miles), Ukraine has most often used the UJ-22 Liutyi drone – a precision guided, propeller driven aircraft with a 75-kilogram (165-pound) warhead. The type of drone used in this attack was not made public.