Drone Strike Sparks Fire at Major Russian Oil Complex

A major industrial complex in Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan caught fire after an overnight drone attack, while another blaze broke out at a warehouse operated by the country's largest online retailer, Wildberries. The region lies about 1,400 km from the Ukrainian border.

Bashkortostan Governor Radiy Khabirov said Russian air defenses had repelled the attack, but debris from one of the drones fell in the industrial zone of Salavat, sparking a fire. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene.

According to the independent Telegram channel Astra, the fire hit Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat, one of Russia's largest oil refining and petrochemical complexes. Residents reported hearing explosions shortly after 9 a.m. local time, followed by air-defense activity and warning sirens.

A separate fire also broke out at a Wildberries logistics center in the Chishminsky District. The Telegram channel Exilenova+ reported that the facility is used to store, sort and distribute dual-use goods.

Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat can process around 10 million metric tons of crude oil annually and has been targeted by Ukrainian drones on several previous occasions.

(Ukrainska Pravda, BAK)