The Ukrainian Defence Forces have struck the «NS-Oil» oil refinery in the Ulyanovsk Oblast of Russia. The facility is located in the village of Novospasskoye and has a refining capacity of up to 600,000 tonnes of crude oil per year.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on 23 July that a Russian oil refinery had been hit. The consequences of the attack and the extent of the damage to the facility are currently being assessed.
Attack on the «NS-Oil» oil refinery in the Ulyanovsk Region
According to the report General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, units of the Defence Forces struck the «NS-Oil» small-scale oil refinery on Russian territory.
The facility is situated in the Novospassky District of the Ulyanovsk Region. Its distance from the Ukrainian border makes it out of reach of most conventional short-range weapons.
The General Staff did not specify which units and assets were deployed during the operation. There is also no information as yet regarding specific damaged facilities, a fire or the possible shutdown of the plant.
What is known about the Russian factory?
«NS-Oil» is a small-scale oil refinery. Its annual capacity is estimated at 600,000 tonnes of feedstock, which is significantly lower than that of Russia’s largest refineries.
The plant specialises in primary oil refining and produces petrol and diesel fractions, as well as fuel oil. The company is one of the major employers in the Novospaskyi district and is part of the «Prominvest» group of companies.
Although its capacity is relatively small, this does not detract from the facility’s local importance for the supply of petroleum products. Small refineries complement larger plants and can supply fuel to specific regions and consumers.
The company had already been attacked previously
The NS-Oil refinery had already come under attack from drones on the night of 29 October 2025. At that time, residents of Novospaske reported a series of explosions and a fire in the vicinity of the plant.
According to preliminary reports, the AVT-200 primary oil refinery may have been hit during that attack. The Russian authorities confirmed the drone attack in the Novospaskyi district, but did not disclose the full extent of the damage.
A new attack may indicate that the facility has been hit again following repair work. It will only be possible to assess the outcome definitively once satellite imagery becomes available or there is confirmed information regarding the plant’s operations.
Strikes against the oil refining sector are depleting Russia’s resources
The defence forces are carrying out systematic attacks Russian oil refineries, oil depots, terminals and other fuel infrastructure facilities. The General Staff states that the aim of such operations is to reduce Russia’s military and economic potential and to make it more difficult for it to supply its army.
«NS-Oil» is not one of the largest refineries in the Russian Federation, so an isolated strike is unlikely to significantly alter the overall volume of Russian oil refining. At the same time, repeated strikes on numerous facilities are forcing Russia to spend resources on repairs, air defence and the reallocation of supplies.
The significance of the attack also lies in its geographical scope: the ability to strike targets deep within Russian territory broadens the list of facilities requiring additional defence systems. This increases the Russian Federation’s costs even in cases where the plant itself has a relatively low production capacity.
