Drones Struck One Of Russia's Largest Oil Refineries In Kstovo

26.08.2026, 8:17
1,740

A series of explosions was followed by a massive fire.

On the night of August 26, explosions were heard in Kstovo, in the Nizhny Novgorod Region of the Russian Federation. There are reports that the Kstovo Oil Refinery was hit.

A fire broke out there. Footage from the scene was compiled by the Telegram channel Exilenova+.

What is known about the attack on the Kstovo Oil Refinery

It became known toward morning that the Kstovo Oil Refinery had come under attack by the Defense Forces that night, when Russians began posting footage showing a glow on the refinery grounds.

According to Exile+, it is indeed the Kstovo Oil Refinery—also known as “LUKOIL-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez”—one of Russia’s largest oil refineries, that has been hit.

“Local residents are reporting numerous explosions and shelling of the plant’s grounds. A large-scale fire and heavy smoke are visible in the area around the refinery,” Exile+ noted.

The plant’s design capacity is approximately 17 million metric tons of crude oil per year. It produces automotive gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, lubricants, and other petroleum products.

The facility is crucial for supplying fuel to the Russian economy and the Russian Armed Forces, as its products—particularly aviation and diesel fuel—are used to meet the needs of the Russian military.

“Given the scale of production, a strike on the plant would place an additional burden on the enemy’s fuel system,” the channel adds.

Previously, the plant has on more than one occasion been attacked and had even halted operations due to the damage sustained.

As of 4 a.m., the attack was still ongoing, so it was too early to assess the extent of the damage.