Russia: Oil Refinery and Hospital Roof on Fire After Drone Attack

Fires broke out at an oil refinery and a hospital roof in the Volgograd region of Russia following a Ukrainian drone attack. According to local authorities, debris from drones shot down by air defense systems caused the fires.

Regional Governor Andrei Bocharov stated that firefighters are working to contain and extinguish the fires, and there are no reports of injuries. The Russian civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, announced that flights to and from the region were suspended for approximately three hours for security reasons.

The refinery, owned by the Russian giant Lukoil, had already suspended its operations due to previous Ukrainian drone attacks. Crude oil refining operations have been suspended until at least mid-September. In 2024, the facility processed 5.1% of the total amount of oil refined in Russia.

The Ukrainian side describes the raids as retaliation for Russian strikes and aims to destroy infrastructure essential for the Russian armed forces.