Oil refinery in Russia's Ufa catches fire: authorities claim drone attack – video

A fire broke out at the Ufa oil refinery in Russia — more than 800 miles from Ukraine — overnight into Monday, March 3, Russia’s Bashkortostan Emergencies Ministry reported.

While the ministry linked it to a "technological process," Russian propagandists pointed to a drone strike.

Russia’s Defense Ministry, in its morning briefing on downed or intercepted drones, did not mention Ufa, the Bashkortostan capital, instead reporting seven UAVs hit over Lipetsk, Rostov, and Belgorod oblasts.

Bashkortostan’s Emergency Ministry said the blaze erupted at 3:38 a.m. local time at the Ufa refinery and was "contained."

By 6:41 a.m., open flames were reportedly out, with officials sticking to the "technological process" explanation.

Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, wrote that "unknown drones" struck the Ufa refinery — one of Russia’s largest. Its output includes jet fuel, diesel for military vehicles, and lubricants vital for tanks, aircraft, and trucks.

The Ufa refining complex, spanning multiple plants, processes about 20 million tons of oil yearly. Ufa ranks among Russia’s top oil refining hubs, with Bashkortostan in the country’s top five for throughput.

Russian Telegram channels suggested drones caused the fire, noting one was spotted at 11:38 p.m. Kyiv time. Locals mistook the blast for an earthquake, feeling it in nearby apartments. Ufa authorities stayed silent on the incident.

On February 26, a Ukrainian intelligence source told LIGA.net that Ukraine’s Defense Forces hit a seaport and refinery in Russia’s Tuapse.

On the same day, strikes also targeted the Saky and Kacha military airfields in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Overnight into February 28, dozens of drones attacked Russia, with explosions heard in Kursk Oblast's Kurchatov, possibly near an ammunition depot.