Ukrainian Drones Hit Oil Refinery, Chemical Plant 1500km Deep Into Russia

Despite fresh warnings from President Vladimir Putin issued the day prior at the Valdai summit in Sochi, Ukrainian drones have once again targeted two major industrial facilities deep inside Russia overnight – an oil refinery in the Orenburg region and a chemical plant in the Perm region – regional officials announced Friday.

The Orsknefteorgsintez oil refinery was struck and suffered damage in the first attack, which lies near the border with Kazakhstan. Videos circulating on social media showed a drone crashing within the refinery grounds, followed by thick black smoke rising above the site. Watch:

A Ukrainian drone passes low through ineffective small arms fire from the ground to dive onto Orsknefteorgsintez refinery in fascist Russia’s Orenburg Oblast, 1,400km from Ukraine. The refinery produces gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, fuel oil, and bitumen – 6.6M tons per year. pic.twitter.com/O2II7FF6Iq

— Euan MacDonald (@Euan_MacDonald) October 3, 2025

Regional Governor Yevgeny Solntsev stated that no one was injured and claimed that operations at the refinery were not disrupted, however.

Orsknefteorgsintez is one of Russia’s top oil refineries, with a capacity of 6.6 million tons per year and producing around 30 petroleum products including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and bitumen, regional reports say.

In Perm, the Azot chemical plant was also attacked, resulting in a disruption of operations there, after eyewitnesses widely reported two loud blasts. At least three drones may have been involved in the strike. Azot is part of billionaire Dmitry Mazepin’s Uralchem holding.

The plant reportedly manufactures products such as ammonium nitrate, nitric acid, sodium nitrate, and urea – and is also said to be Russia’s only producer of higher aliphatic amines and crystalline sodium nitrite.

Russians in shock as Ukraine now able to target refineries at astonishing distance.

1400km from Ukraine, the Orsknefteorgsintez refinery was just hit, Orenburg region. pic.twitter.com/8NlT3jhGeV

— Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) October 3, 2025

These were significant long-range attacks given that both sites lie approximately 930 miles (or some 1500km) from the Ukrainian border, which means Kiev continues to prove itself capable of hitting critical infrastructure very deep inside Russia.

„President Trump recently signed off on allowing intelligence agencies and the Pentagon to aid Kyiv with the strikes. U.S. officials are asking North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies to provide similar support, these people said,” WSJ reported this week, marking the first such instance of Trump openly greenlighting Ukrainian strikes on Russia with long-range missiles.

So Russia’s refinery woes could get worse, but the question of providing Tomahawks still remains an open one, and the Kremlin has said it would be „surprised” if the White House allowed such a serious escalation. Still, J.D. Vance early this week said the administration is seriously looking at the European request.

Distance to Orsk refinery, near Kazakhstan border

„The expanded intelligence-sharing with Kyiv is the latest sign that Trump is deepening support for Ukraine as his efforts to advance peace talks have stalled,” WSJ also noted.

International estimates are that thus far during the war Ukraine has struck a whopping 21 out of Russia’s 38 refineries, some of them more than once, which has proven costly – also as sanctions have made it hard to find parts for quick repairs.