Column Of Fire, Black Smoke Rising: Video Of Powerful Fire At Lukoil Refinery In Russia Released

The plant caught fire after a drone attack.

In the morning of March 12, a drone attacked the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery in the town of Kstovo in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region. The strike hit directly an oil distillation unit, resulting in a fire.

Lukoil, which owns the refinery, said it had suspended operation of the unit "in connection with the incident". The company did not specify what kind of emergency it was referring to; meanwhile, Russians posted footage of the explosion and fire online.

According to the regional authorities, Ukrainian UAVs attacked the Kstovo industrial zone, namely a facility of the fuel and energy complex.

Russian Telegram channels specified that one drone fell on the territory of the refinery at about 05:30 local time. After that, a fire started: a column of fire and black smoke rose above the plant, which was visible from a far distance.

Operational services came to the scene, even a fire train was involved. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties.

Nizhny Novgorod Region Governor Andrei Nikitin confirmed later in the morning that the crude oil distillation unit (one of the main ones for such enterprises) continues to burn at the oil depot.