A new drone attack on 19 August triggered large fires at a Lukoil oil refinery and another site in Russia’s Volgograd. The local officials claim drone debris caused the fires despite what they described as a “massive” UAV assault being repelled by military forces.

Twin fires break out in Volgograd after drone strike

Russian Telegram news channel Astra reported that explosions were heard in Volgograd overnight on 19 August, followed by a major fire outbreak in the city. Photos began circulating online, allegedly showing a blaze after a drone strike. While Astra shared these images, the outlet noted it could not independently verify the authenticity of the visuals.

In response to the incident, Russia’s aviation agency Rosaviatsia temporarily closed Volgograd’s local airport. No further details were released regarding flight disruptions.

Later the same morning, the Governor of Volgograd Oblast officially confirmed that two separate fires broke out following a drone attack — at the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka refinery and allegedly on a hospital’s rooftop. According to his statement, the fires erupted in southern Volgograd after wreckage from unmanned aerial vehicles ostensibly fell onto key infrastructure sites. He claimed that the Ministry of Defense’s forces were actively repelling a “massive” drone assault targeting the oblast.

Astra stated that the refinery and hospital buildings hit on 19 August are located several kilometers apart.

Lukoil refinery struck for the second or third time in days

The Ukrainian drones had already attacked the same refinery during the night of 14 August, when at least eight drones targeted the Lukoil facility in Volgograd’s Krasnoarmeiskyi District. That earlier strike damaged parts of the plant’s infrastructure, including two pipelines and a primary oil processing unit. As a result, the refinery was forced to halt operations.

Two days later, a major fire erupted again at the facility, but the second drone attack was not confirmed.