June 6, 2025
Editor’s Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
An oil refinery in the city of Engels in Russia’s Saratov Oblast was engulfed in flames after an overnight drone attack on June 6, Russian officials and media outlets reported.
Ukraine has previously targeted the Kristal Plant, an oil refinery in Engels that supplies fuel to Russia’s Engels-2 military airfield.
Residents shared footage of major fires breaking out in Engels following a drone attack, according to the independent Russian Telegram news channel Astra. Locals reported that the refinery was under attack and that a residential building had been hit.
The Saratov airport imposed restrictions due to the drone threat, according to Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya).
Saratov Oblast Governor Roman Busargin claimed that a fire had broken out at an unspecified “industrial enterprise” and that emergency responders had been dispatched to the scene. He also said drones caused damage to a residential building. No casualties were reported.
The Kyiv Independent could not confirm these claims.
The reported drone attack comes after a series of major Ukrainian strikes against military targets inside Russia.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on June 1 launched Operation Spiderweb, a daring mass drone attack that damaged 41 Russian heavy bombers at four key airfields throughout the country. The operation reportedly targeted A-50, Tu-95, and Tu-22 M3 planes parked at the Belaya, Diaghilev, Olenya, and Ivanovo air bases, causing approximately $7 billion in damage.
In the following days, Ukraine carried out strikes against Russia’s Crimean Bridge, a military base in distant Vladivostok, and a missile base in Bryansk Oblast.
Located in Russia’s Saratov Oblast, around 600 kilometers (370 miles) from the front lines in Ukraine, the Engels-2 base has been a frequent target of Ukrainian strikes since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The airfield houses three types of strategic bombers regularly used in missile attacks on Ukraine: the Tu-95, Tu-22, and Tu-160.
An attack against the air base on March 20 destroyed 96 air-launched cruise missiles, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.
It seems that Ukraine was restraining itself from attacking oil refineries due to the “peace” talks. As expected, mafia land doesn’t want peace. Thus, mafia land must suffer the consequences.
In just a week, mafia land lost a couple of railroad bridges, had other sabotage done on railway infrastructure, had the Kerch Bridge damaged, and no one knows how badly, lost numerous strategic aircraft, got several valuable air defense systems destroyed, and now an oil refinery is ablaze.
I approve 100%. Ukraine must do what it’s got to do, and mafia land must suffer as much as possible. I hope to see many more successful strikes on the demons.
We were only talking about this last night. Someone must have been listening to us.
Yes, it almost seems like it.