Ukrainian forces carried out an overnight drone attack on Russian territory targeting energy facilities including Novatek’s Ust-Luga fuel terminal in Leningrad Oblast and the Syzran oil refinery in Samara Oblast, Russian and Ukrainian officials said Sunday.
Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed the strikes on Ust-Luga port and said no casualties were reported.
“On the morning of August 24, ten drones were destroyed over the port of Ust-Luga. Debris from one of the drones caused a fire at Novatek’s terminal. Firefighters and the Emergency Situations Ministry are working to extinguish the blaze,” he said in a Telegram post.
The Novatek export terminal at Ust-Luga in Russia is burning. The facility, which is around 800 km (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border, supplies oil tankers at the Baltic Sea. pic.twitter.com/f29GIJeLwA
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) August 24, 2025
A source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) cited by The Kyiv Independent confirmed the strike, saying the terminal helps Russia bypass sanctions.
In Samara, explosions were reported at the Rosneft-owned Syzran refinery, forcing production to halt. One child was injured, regional authorities said.
A drone attack on Syzran oil refinery, Samara region of Russia.
The refinery processes about 3,08% of oil processing in Russia. pic.twitter.com/p7ntCMoodr
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) August 24, 2025
Ukraine’s General Staff acknowledged the attack, noting the refinery’s output of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel for Russian forces. The facility processes up to 8.5 million tons of oil annually, about 3 percent of Russia’s total refining capacity.
Also among the sites targeted in the recent Ukrainian drone strike was the Kursk nuclear power plant, where an auxiliary transformer was damaged, forcing a 50% reduction in the operating capacity of one reactor, according to Russian authorities. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the reported attack.
BREAKING: A massive fire has erupted at Russia’s Kursk nuclear power plant. pic.twitter.com/w7G8uOxbIO
— Defence Index (@Defence_Index) August 24, 2025
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting at least 95 Ukrainian drones across more than a dozen regions on Sunday, the day Ukraine marked the anniversary of its 1991 declaration of independence. Ukraine, meanwhile, said Russia launched a ballistic missile and 72 Iranian-made Shahed attack drones, of which its air force shot down 48.
