Second strike in five days: Ukrainian drones hit Volgograd oil refinery again
Ukrainian drones attacked an oil refinery in Volgograd overnight into August 19.
Regional governor Andrei Bocharov confirmed the strike on the refinery, but said the fire was caused by falling drone debris on the plant’s grounds.
Local social media channels reported the drone attack began around 3 a.m. Residents first heard the sound of drone engines overhead, followed by loud bangs, according to the Telegram channel “Ukraine 365.”
Bocharov said Russia’s air defenses repelled a mass drone attack. In the south of the city, a reportedly downed drone fell onto the roof of one of the buildings of City Hospital No. 16. There were no injuries.
A fire also broke out on the refinery’s territory. The hospital and the refinery are only a few kilometers apart.
This was not the first attack on the refinery in 2025. On August 14, the plant halted operations after a drone strike. That day, drones hit two pipelines and a primary oil processing unit.
Russian channels reported that at least eight drones reached the grounds of Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka in the Krasnoarmeysky District.
Ukraine’s General Staff later confirmed the successful strike.
LLC Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka is the largest oil refinery in the Volgograd region and one of PJSC Lukoil’s key assets. The plant processes more than 15 million tons of crude annually.
The refinery specializes in deep oil refining and produces gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, fuel oil, bitumen and other petroleum products.