Ukrainian Drone Strikes Cause Fires at Krasnodar, Samara Refineries

On the night of August 30, Ukrainian drone strikes targeted major Russian oil refineries in the Krasnodar and Samara regions, causing large-scale fires and significant damage to critical refinery infrastructure. The Krasnodar Oil Refinery, one of Russia's oldest and largest, suffered a fire covering about 300 square meters after drones hit its atmospheric-vacuum tube plant, essential for crude oil distillation, though Russian authorities initially attributed the fire to debris from a downed drone. The strike in Samara affected the Kuibyshev refinery, one of the largest in southern Russia, temporarily halting its operations and damaging primary refining units. Ukrainian officials reported these attacks as part of a broader campaign that has already reduced Russia's refining capacity by approximately 14%. Local residents in Krasnodar reported dozens of explosions and activation of air defenses, with no casualties confirmed and refinery personnel evacuated safely. These attacks reflect Kyiv’s ongoing efforts to disrupt Russian military logistics by targeting fuel supply infrastructure deep inside Russian territory.