Ukrainian Drones Attacked One Of Russia's Largest Oil Refineries For The Second Time This Month
- 21.08.2026, 11:12
The facility in Perm is Lukoil's second-largest in terms of capacity.
On the morning of August 21, the Perm Krai was subjected to a massive attack by Ukrainian drones. The region’s Ministry of Territorial Security declared a “drone threat” alert, which remained in effect for more than two hours, while Rosaviatsiya restricted the arrival and departure of aircraft at Bolshoye Savino Airport. Perm residents reported several explosions and a column of smoke rising above the city.
As Astra determined from eyewitness footage, the target of the attack was the “Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez” (PNOS). The facility ranks among Russia’s top 10 largest oil refineries and is Lukoil’s second-largest in terms of capacity after the one in Nizhny Novgorod. In 2024, the refinery processed 12.6 million metric tons of crude oil, including 2 million metric tons of gasoline and 5.3 million metric tons of diesel. Prior to this, drones had attacked the refinery less than a month ago—on July 29. A fire also broke out at the facility on that occasion. The AVT-5 oil refining unit was reportedly damaged. The refinery was also targeted by drones on May 7 and April 30 and suspended fuel production on several occasions.
The day before, on August 20, Ukrainian drones struck the “Taneko” oil refinery in Tatarstan for the second time in two weeks attacked the Taneco oil refinery in Tatarstan. A week earlier, the Gazpromneftekhim Salavat oil refinery in Bashkortostan was targeted. Prior to this, industry sources told Reuters that since early August, at least four refineries had halted crude oil processing following drone attacks. Specifically, the Orsknefteorgsintez refinery in the Orenburg Region, the Zapsibneftekhim refinery in the Tyumen Region, as well as the Saratov and Volgograd refineries were put out of commission.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) intensified their strikes on Russian oil refineries in 2026. According to an analysis by S&P Global, the attacks disrupted operations at at least 26 facilities, seven of which had still not resumed production by the end of July. As a result of regular strikes on oil refineries, oil refining in Russia, according to EA Analytics estimates, fell to its lowest level since May 2002—3.6 million barrels per day. This led to a fuel crisis.
Market sources interviewed by Kommersant noted that the crisis could intensify by early September, as one of the two refineries in Belarus—which supplies Russia—will shut down for repairs. Scheduled maintenance is also planned at several major Russian plants.