Two strikes in one raid: what is known about the Ukrainian drone attack on the Ufa refinery
15 September 2025 21:45
on September 13, Ukrainian drones attacked two oil refineries in the capital of Bashkortostan, Ufa, at once. This was reported by ASTRA, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
While initially it was reported about one facility, it has now been confirmed that the strikes hit Bashneft-Novol and Bashneft-UNPZ, which are located just a few kilometers from each other.
According to Russian independent media, the drones hit key installations:
- AVT-1 at Bashneft-Novol – a gas pipeline and a torch manifold were damaged, and a fire broke out.
- AVT-6 at Bashneft-UNPZ – two water and nitrogen pipelines were damaged.
Why is this important?
Both refineries are part of Bashneft, a major producer of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and petrochemicals. This is actually the fuel base of the entire region, and stopping even part of the production could cause shortages and complicate logistics.
Analysts note that the strike on two facilities at the same time indicates increased coordination of Ukrainian attacks, which are increasingly penetrating Russian territory.
Reaction in the region
The head of Bashkortostan, Radiy Khabirov, acknowledged the attack, but the Russian authorities traditionally downplay the extent of the damage. At the same time, social media footage confirms that fires have broken out in the area of the enterprises.
Local residents reported loud explosions and interruptions in mobile communications on the night of the attack.
Context
Bashkortostan is one of Russia’s key oil refining centers. In addition to the two Ufa refineries, the region also has the giant Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat complex, which produces fuel and chemicals. This makes the area one of the most vulnerable to Ukrainian drone attacks.
In recent months, Ukraine has been increasingly targeting Russian oil and gas infrastructure, from Krasnodar Krai to Tatarstan. According to Western intelligence, these attacks have already reduced Russian exports of oil products and led to domestic fuel shortages.
What’s next?
The damage to two refineries in a single raid raises the question of the weakness of Russia’s air defense system in the interior of the country. If the trend continues, Moscow may be forced to redeploy air defense systems from the front to the interior, which will affect the situation on the front lines.
In March, Ukrainian drones attacked three oil refineries in the Krasnodar Territory.
In July, refineries in the Nizhny Novgorod region and Tatarstan were hit.
Analysts at the Center for Energy Research (CFR) believe that Russia’s total losses from attacks on its oil and gas infrastructure have already exceeded $1 billion.
