Drones from Ukraine hit one of Russia's biggest oil refineries, more than 1,500 km from the front

Refinery hit by long-range Ukrainian drones

According to ХВИЛЯ: Early on August 21, Ukrainian long-range drones targeted the LUKOIL-Permnefteorgsintez refinery in Perm, a facility located more than 1,500 kilometers from the front lines. The attack caused two separate fires, forced Perm airport to halt operations, and prompted regional officials to say the strike had been repelled without offering details. Footage shared by the monitoring outlet Exilenova+ showed thick black smoke rising from the plant, and NASA FIRMS confirmed two hotspots detected by the NOAA-20 satellite at 01:37 Moscow time that day.

Ukraine has repeatedly used long-range drones to strike oil infrastructure deep inside Russia in an effort to cut fuel supplies for Moscow's military.

Past strikes on the same refinery

The plant is one of Russia's largest oil refineries, with a design capacity of about 13 million metric tons of crude per year. It produces gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and lubricants, and also processes associated petroleum gas. Its output is mainly intended for Russia's domestic market; before the Ukrainian strikes, some of these products were also exported.

This was not the first attack on the refinery. Ukrainian drones previously targeted it on:

• July 29
• May 8
• May 7
• April 30

These strikes are generally intended to lower the amount of fuel available to the Russian army and economy. Damage to refining units cuts processing volumes and can cause fuel shortages within Russia.

The continued drone attacks on Russian refineries, including LUKOIL-Permnefteorgsintez, demonstrate Ukraine's use of long-range drones to hit critical enemy infrastructure.

This could be part of a strategy aimed at weakening Russia's military potential and pressuring the economy through reduced fuel deliveries. If such attacks continue, they may have lasting effects on Russia's energy security and the stability of its domestic fuel market.

The recent strike on the LUKOIL-Permnefteorgsintez refinery highlights a broader pattern of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting critical oil infrastructure. A similar incident occurred when Ukrainian forces launched an overnight strike on one of Orenburg Region's major refineries, further emphasizing the ongoing strategy to disrupt Russia's fuel supplies. For more details on this significant event, see our coverage of the recent refinery attack in Orenburg.