Fire broke out at "Gazprom Neftekhim-Salavat" oil refinery in Bashkortostan following drone attack. VIDEO+PHOTOS

On the night of 14 July, drones attacked the Republic of Bashkortostan. According to OSINT sources, the ‘Gazprom Neftekhim-Salavat’ oil refinery was hit, after which a fire broke out at the facility.

This was reported by Censor.NET, citing Russian Telegram channels.

According to local residents, a series of loud explosions was initially heard in the vicinity of the facility. Following this, a fire and smoke were spotted at the site, rising as a result of the drone strikes. Video footage on social media shows dark plumes of smoke rising above the refinery grounds.

Reaction from Russian Authorities

Subsequently, Bashkortostan’s head, Radiy Khabirov, confirmed the attack on the republic and stated that it had allegedly been repelled.

"A massive UAV attack on the Salavat industrial zone has been repelled. There are pockets of smoke due to falling debris, but there are no casualties," the statement said.

What is known about the refinery?

The "Gazprom Neftekhim-Salavat" plant is located approximately 1,400 km from the section of the border with Russia controlled by Ukraine.

It is considered one of the largest oil refineries and petrochemical plants in Russia. The plant produces a total of around 150 different products: motor petrol, diesel fuel, fuel oil, bitumen, polyethylene and others.

According to data from open sources, the plant’s crude oil processing capacity stood at at least 6.8 million tonnes per year as of 2022. According to The Moscow Times, the refinery processed 7.2 million tonnes of crude oil in 2024 — accounting for 2.7 per cent of Russia’s total refining volume.

In September 2025, the refinery in Salavat was struck twice by Ukrainian drones, and a fire was reported at the primary processing unit. However, as claimed by the head of Bashkortostan, Radiy Khabirov, the refinery continued to operate normally following those attacks.