Russia: impressive images of columns of smoke above a refinery targeted by Ukraine

The images are striking. According to a video verified by Reuters, around ten thick columns of black smoke rose on Friday October 30 above the Novokuibyshevsk refinery, in the Russian region of Samara, following a drone attack attributed to Ukraine.

Two men died during clearing operations following the strike, announced the regional governor, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, on MAX messaging. The information transmitted by Reuters does not specify the exact circumstances of the death of the two men nor the extent of the damage at the oil site.

Earlier in the day, regional authorities announced the intervention of air defense and mobile groups responsible for repelling drones, without identifying the affected installations. According to The Kyiv Independent, residents in the affected area reported explosions, while several videos posted online showed a fire near the refinery.

A refinery already targeted in August

Although no official claim has yet been reported, the Novokuibyshevsk refinery has already been the target of Ukrainian drones in the past. Volodymyr Zelensky announced long-range attacks against the site on August 22, as part of kyiv's intensification of operations targeting the Russian energy sector.

According to the Russian oil group Rosneft, which has owned the site since 2007, the Novokuibyshevsk refinery has a processing capacity of around 8.8 million tonnes of crude oil per year, and notably produces aircraft fuel.