According to RFE/RL and Russian Telegram channels, a drone strike caused a fire at Gazprom’s Salavatnefteorgsintez oil refinery in the city of Salavat, Bashkortostan on 9 May.
Previously, Ukrainian drones have struck targets in remote Russian regions like Vologda, Nizhny Novgorod and Tatarstan. In recent months, Ukrainian drones have attacked over a dozen oil refineries and depots across Russian territory.
A drone strike hit Gazprom's Salavatnefteorgsintez refinery in Salavat, Russia, 1,300 km from Ukraine. Authorities report no casualties, claim operations are unaffected.https://t.co/64sgpAZx8c
????TG/Baza pic.twitter.com/WvH26e2bYK— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) May 9, 2024
The Telegram channel Baza reported that the drone hit a catalytic cracking unit around 1 PM local time, leading to an explosion and smoke in the area near the south entrance. RFE/RL cited Telegram channels Mash and Baza as the sources alleging the cause was a drone strike.
The head of Russia’s Bashkortostan Republic, Radiy Khabirov, confirmed the drone attack on the industrial zone of Salavat and said emergency services were working at the site. He claimed that the fire was small and workers were not evacuated, with the plant allegedly continuing to operate normally. Preliminary reports indicated no casualties.
This is the first such incident in Bashkortostan since Russia started its full-scale war against Ukraine. Russian authorities have not officially confirmed if the drone belonged to Ukraine. The distance from the Ukrainian border to Bashkortostan is about 1,300 km.
In the early hours of 9 May, drones also targeted an oil depot near Anapa in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, causing a fire and damaging several fuel tanks.
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