On the night of 8 October 2026, the Ukrainian Defence Forces carried out a strike on the «Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat» oil refining and petrochemical complex in the city of Salavat, in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russian Federation. A fire broke out on the site. The Ukrainian military reported that the facility had been hit. The complex is capable of processing up to 10 million tonnes of hydrocarbon feedstock per year and is involved in supplying the Russian army. The extent of the damage is being assessed.
Briefly about the main points
- On 8 October, the Ukrainian Defence Forces struck the «Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat» oil refinery complex.
- A fire broke out on the company’s premises following the attack.
- The complex has a capacity of up to 10 million tonnes of hydrocarbon feedstock per year.
- The plant produces petrol, diesel, fuel oil, bitumen and petrochemical products.
A Gazprom oil refinery complex in Bashkortostan has been attacked«
The Ukrainian military reported a successful damage to the oil refinery complex «Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat», located in the town of Salavat in the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan. A fire broke out on the company’s premises.
Even before the official statement from the Defence Forces, Russian and Ukrainian monitoring channels had circulated footage showing thick plumes of smoke in the vicinity of an industrial site. The photographs released show thick plumes of black smoke rising above the area, as well as the glow of the fire.
The Russian publication ASTRA, having analysed eyewitness accounts, concluded that the fire probably broke out on the premises of the oil refinery complex.
The plant is situated approximately 1,400 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. There is currently no information regarding specific production facilities that may have been damaged as a result of this attack.
What is known about «Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat»
«Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat» is one of Russia’s largest integrated oil refining and petrochemical complexes. The company is part of the Russian gas group «Gazprom». Its production capacity allows it to process up to 10 million tonnes of hydrocarbon feedstock per year.
The complex manufactures over 150 different products, including:
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petrol and diesel fuel;
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fuel oil, bitumen and other petroleum products;
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polyethylene and polymeric materials;
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styrene and ammonia;
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other petrochemical products.
The company’s history dates back to 1948, when Industrial Complex No. 18 was established. Over time, the facility became one of the region’s key centres for oil refining and petrochemicals.
According to the Ukrainian military command, the complex’s output is used, in particular, to meet the needs of the Russian armed forces.
The oil refinery in Salavat has been attacked by drones on several occasions
This is not the first attack on a major industrial complex in Bashkortostan. Between 2025 and 2026, the facility was targeted by drones on several occasions.
In particular, on 24 September 2025, a crude oil processing plant was damaged as a result of an attack ELOU-AVT-6.
Further attacks on the company were recorded in 2026.
Following the attack on 14 July, a fire broke out on the site of the complex. According to reports from open sources, the company temporarily suspended oil processing.
Another strike took place on 13 August. On that occasion, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that the facility had been hit and that a fire had broken out on its premises.
The attack on 8 October was, therefore, the latest in a series of strikes against this company’s industrial infrastructure.
