Ukrainian Drones Strike All Primary Refining Units at Russia’s Sixth-Largest Oil Refinery

15 November 2026

Nighttime wildfire burning across the horizon, with bright flames and orange smoke reflected in the foreground water.

Fire at the Volgograd Refinery. November 12, 2026. Source: Exilenova+

Defense forces struck all primary oil refining units at Russia’s sixth-largest oil refinery, the LUKOIL-Volgogradneftepererabotka oil refinery, in the Russian city of Volgograd.

This information came to light thanks to satellite images published by the Telegram channel Absolutely Reliable Source.

The attack took place on the night of November 12–13. As a result of the strike, numerous fires were recorded at the facility, covering a total area of over 3,500 square meters.

According to the images, four primary oil refining units—AVT-1, AVT-3, AVT-5, and AVT-6—were hit. Together, these units account for 100% of the Volgograd Oil Refinery’s primary oil refining capacity, as well as the plant’s main control room.

A general view of the Volgograd Oil Refinery after the attack on November 13. Photo credits: Absolutely Reliable Source

AVT stands for atmospheric-vacuum tubular units, which separate crude oil into fractions for the subsequent production of gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, and other petroleum products. Vacuum distillation allows for the additional extraction of gas oil and feedstock for lubricant production from heavy residues.

The largest of these—AVT-1, which was launched in 2015—has a design capacity of 6 million metric tons of crude oil per year. AVT-6 has an annual capacity of approximately 5.3 million metric tons; AVT-5, following its modernization in 2022, has a capacity of 3.5 million metric tons per year; and the backup AVT-3 has a capacity of 1.6 million metric tons.

Aerial view of an industrial facility with multiple red boxes highlighting suspected parachute-shaped objects. — Damage to the AVT-1 unit at the Volgograd Oil Refinery following the attack on November 13. Photo credits: Absolutely Reliable Source

Aerial view of an industrial facility with five red rectangles highlighting rooftop structures and equipment. — Damage to the AVT-6 unit at the Volgograd Oil Refinery following the attack on November 13. Photo credits: Absolutely Reliable Source

Aerial view of an industrial facility with multiple structures and red boxes highlighting several locations. — Damage to the AVT-5 unit at the Volgograd Oil Refinery following the attack on November 13. Photo credits: Absolutely Reliable Source

Aerial view of an industrial facility with three red-highlighted areas showing curved pipe installations. — Damage to the AVT-3 and hydrotreating units at the Volgograd Oil Refinery following the attack on November 13. Photo credits: Absolutely Reliable Source

Secondary refining units were also damaged, specifically the hydrotreating and delayed coking units. Hydrotreating units ensure fuel quality: using hydrogen and catalysts, they remove sulfur and other undesirable impurities. This allows for the production of fuels that meet the Euro 5 standard.

Delayed coking increases the depth of oil refining. The unit converts heavy oil residues into gases and liquid fractions, which allows for the production of more light fuel components and reduces the output of fuel oil.

The lubricant production unit and the polymer production shop were also damaged. In addition, six product storage tanks were destroyed, and hits were recorded on solar panel fields located on the refinery’s grounds.

The Volgograd Oil Refinery, officially known as LUKOIL-Volgogradneftepererabotka, has been in operation since 1957 and specializes in the production of fuel and lubricant components.

Aerial view of an industrial manufacturing complex with three areas outlined in red.

Damage to the lubricants and polymers production facilities at the Volgograd Oil Refinery following the November 13 attack. Photo credits: Absolutely Reliable Source

Aerial view of an industrial facility with railway tracks, buildings, and a red outlined area.

Damage to the loading rack at the Volgograd Oil Refinery following the November 13 attack. Photo credits: Absolutely Reliable Source

Aerial view of an industrial facility with a red outline highlighting a coke oven installation.

Damage to the slow coking unit at the Volgograd Oil Refinery following the November 13 attack. Photo credits: Absolutely Reliable Source

Aerial view of an industrial facility with storage tanks, pipelines, and two areas outlined in red.

Damage to storage tanks at the Volgograd Oil Refinery following the November 13 attack. Photo credits: Absolutely Reliable Source

The plant’s capacity is approximately 15 million metric tons of crude oil per year, but the actual volume of processing depends on equipment utilization and downtime. According to Reuters, the plant processed 13.5 million metric tons of crude oil in 2024. In 2025, the plant ranked sixth in terms of crude oil refining capacity in Russia.

The refinery’s main products are automotive gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. In 2023, the refinery accounted for 4.9% of Russia’s total crude oil refining volume, producing approximately 1.99 million metric tons of gasoline, 6.76 million metric tons of diesel fuel, and 888,000 metric tons of jet fuel. This represented 4.6%, 7.8%, and 8.4%, respectively, of Russia’s production of these fuel types.