NOW: Ukrainian drones attack north Russian oil hub Ukhta
Explosions could be heard in the industrial town as drones attacked on Thursday morning. Ukhta has a major oil refinery and is located almost 2,000 km from Ukraine.
This story is being updated
Explosions could be heard in the industrial town in the Komi Republic as drones attacked on Thursday morning.
The alarm signal was howling over Ukhta around 9 am local time. Few minutes later, several explosions were heard and black smoke started to rise over the city’s industrial area.
Photos published on social media show industrial facilities on fire. The Barents Observer has geolocated the fire to the area where the local oil refinery is located. The refinery is operated by Lukoil.
A drone warning was issued by the authorities early in the morning. The warning also included the cities of Usinsk, Pechora and Nizhny Odes. Locals were told to stay home.
Several of the airports in the region have halted all flights, Telegram channels reported.
Ukhta is a hub for the oil and gas industry in northern Russia. Oil pipelines from the Nenets region run through the city. There are also gas pipelines from the Yamal Peninsula connected with Ukhta.
Lukoil's local oil refinery has an annual production of about 4 million tons.
On Thursday around 10 am local time regional Governor Rostislav Goldshtein said that the danger is still not over and called on locals to refrain from taking film and photos of the site.
It is not the first time that the Ukrainians target Ukhta. In August 2025 drones hit the same refinery, but no fire erupted on the site.
