Explosion at the Novokuibyshevsk refinery on the morning of August 2

August 2, 2025 – Novokuibyshevsk, Samara Region

In the early hours of August 2, Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles struck the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery, completely halting primary processing, local Russian sources confirm. At approximately 05:00 MSK, one drone impacted the main atmospheric distillation column (CDU-11), forcing an immediate shutdown of all crude processing units.

Following the incident, refinery management placed production staff on a paid one-week leave to secure the site and undertake repairs. Samara Region Governor Vyacheslav Fedoryshchev verified the attack, stating that authorities imposed movement restrictions around the facility and temporarily suspended operations at nearby airports to ensure public safety.

Analysts interviewed by Echo of Moscow warn that this strike may signal an escalation in Ukraine’s drone campaign against Russia’s oil infrastructure. While previous damage has typically been repaired within weeks, experts caution that a sustained UAV threat could disrupt domestic fuel supplies and complicate refinery logistics.

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