Drones attack Kirishi refinery in Leningrad region for the second time in less than a month

What happened on the night of 4 October

On the night of 4 October, drones attacked the Kirishinefteorgsintez (KINEF) oil refinery in Kirishi, causing a fire at the industrial site. Regional governor Oleksandr Drozdenko reported the air defence operation and the fire; it was later contained.

Authorities in the Leningrad region claimed to have shot down several UAVs over Kirishi; local media reported at least seven «destroyed» drones on the morning of 4 October. There were no official reports of casualties or the extent of damage.

Evidence from the field

Local public and media outlets published videos of flashes and reports of hits to the company's production facilities. There has been no independent confirmation of the exact areas of impact.

Background: attacks on KIEF in September and spring

Today's attack was at least the second in less than a month: on the night of 13-14 September, UAVs already hit the Kirishi refinery, after which, according to Reuters, the plant shut down a key unit. Previously, the facility was also listed as a target in March 2025 and March 2024.

Information about the company

KINEF is one of the largest refineries in Russia with a design capacity of about 17.7 million tonnes of oil per year (≈355 thousand barrels per day). It is located more than 800 km from the border with Ukraine.

Possible impact

The September attacks on refineries in Russia have already led to temporary shutdowns and redistribution of oil flows; as a result, some refining was reduced. Sources also noted structural pressure on the Russian fuel market amid the growing number of attacks.

Ukraine's position

As of the morning of 4 October, the Ukrainian side had not publicly commented on this particular attack. At the same time, Kyiv has previously claimed responsibility for the September and March strikes on Kirishi as a Russian military logistics facility.

What's next

The regional authorities of the Russian Federation promise to keep us informed about the consequences and recovery efforts. We will update this story if official data on the extent of the damage or changes in the company's operations become available.