Ukrainian Drones Strike Ilsky Refinery as Russia Reports 645 Drones Downed and Perm Plant Halted
Ukrainian long‑range drones have hit the Ilsky Oil Refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region and, according to Reuters, forced a halt at the large Perm refinery after a separate strike, underscoring how refineries that supply Russian military logistics are being pushed onto the front line.
Russia’s oil‑refining network is facing fresh disruption from Ukrainian long‑range drones, with key plants in Krasnodar Krai and the Perm region hit in separate attacks.
On 26 September, Ukrainian long‑range drones struck the Ilsky Oil Refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, with fires reported at the facility. The refinery has six primary refining units and a capacity of roughly 6.6 million tons of crude per year. It produces diesel, gasoline, fuel oil and bitumen that support Russian military logistics in the Southern Military District and in occupied Ukrainian territories.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that, overnight, air defenses shot down 645 drones over regions across the country. In Krasnodar Krai, local authorities reported that oil refineries came under attack. A fire broke out at the Ilsky plant in the Seversky district, which had also been targeted on 8 August. The Afipsky refinery was reportedly attacked as well. According to those regional reports, there were fatalities and injuries.
Further north, Russia’s Perm oil refinery, one of the country’s largest, halted operations after a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire and damaged pipelines, storage facilities and processing units, Reuters reported, citing Russian sources. The extent of the damage and the likely duration of the shutdown were not detailed in the available reporting.
The strikes show how Ukraine is using drones to reach deep into Russian territory and hit assets that feed the war effort, including plants that supply fuel to units in Ukraine and in nearby Russian military districts.
Key signs to watch next include Russian statements on repairs and restart dates for the Ilsky, Afipsky and Perm refineries, and any visible changes in how heavily protected these and other energy facilities appear in subsequent Russian accounts of air‑defense activity.
Sources
- OSINT