A drone attack struck the Komi Republic, located about 2,000 km from Ukraine’s border, marking the first such incident since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. An air raid alert was declared in Ukhta, local officials confirmed.

The strike unfolded just days before a highly anticipated summit scheduled for 15 August in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, intended to explore a ceasefire and potential peace agreement. Trump has openly suggested the discussions may involve “some swapping of territory,” a proposal strongly rejected by Ukraine and its European allies.

Oil refinery targeted

Telegram channels and eyewitnesses said the Lukoil-Ukhtaneftepererabotka oil refinery was the target. Residents reported loud explosions, followed by the arrival of fire trucks, ambulances, and other emergency crews. One drone reportedly crashed near the plant, but no fires or hazardous emissions were recorded.

Ukraine hits Komi for the first time — 2,000 km from the front.

Drones struck the Lukoil refinery in Ukhta, damaging fuel tanks & a gas unit supplying Russian forces.

Analyst Yan Matveev notes the UAV had long wings, glider-like, clearly built for range. pic.twitter.com/5jdx6NNUUe

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 10, 2025

Evacuations and service disruptions

The Syktyvkar No. 12 channel reported evacuations at the Yarmarka shopping mall and the nearby refinery. Residents in Ukhta and Syktyvkar experienced mobile internet outages, and flights at Ukhta airport were temporarily restricted, according to Rosaviatsiya. Acting Komi head Rostislav Goldstein said no one was injured.

Ukrainian intelligence claims responsibility

RBC-Ukraine, citing sources at Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), reported the attack was part of a special operation against a facility supplying fuel and lubricants to Russian forces. Ukrainian sources said drones hit a fuel storage tank, causing a spill, and damaged a gas-condensate processing unit used for producing propane-butane and gasoline.

Part of a broader strike pattern

Recent days have seen multiple drone attacks deep inside Russia:

• Krasnodar Krai (Afipsky Refinery) – Damaged in a Ukrainian drone strike confirmed on 8 August, targeting a gas-condensate processing unit.
• Saratov Oblast – Explosions and fire at an oil refinery overnight 10 August.

Komi, until now untouched by the war, has become the latest target in a widening campaign of long-range strikes.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff has confirmed that Ukrainian drones struck the Saratov oil refinery in Russia during a nighttime operation, the military command announced.

“Tonight, the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in cooperation with other components of the Defense Forces, struck the Saratov oil refinery (Saratov Oblast, Russia),” the General Staff reported.

According to military officials, the drone strikes resulted in explosions and fire at the facility. The Saratov refinery processes up to 7 million tons of oil annually and serves as a key fuel infrastructure facility supplying petroleum products to occupying forces.

The General Staff said that Ukrainian defense forces continue operations aimed at reducing Russia’s military-economic potential to force an end to its aggression against Ukraine.

“Every targeted facility on the territory of the Russian Federation involved in supporting its criminal war against Ukraine brings us closer to a just peace,” the military command stated.

The attack occurred on the night of 10 August, when drones targeted the refinery in the Russian city of Saratov, triggering a large-scale fire at the facility.

Russian officials reported drone strikes on the Saratov Oblast overnight on 10 August, with a local oil refinery apparently sustaining damage, Governor Roman Busargin said.

The Saratov oil refinery processes up to 7 million tons of crude oil annually, producing vital motor fuels and other petroleum products that supply a significant part of Russia’s domestic market and military needs, having served as a crucial logistics hub since World War II.

The governor confirmed damage at an industrial facility following the drone assault. Busargin claimed debris from a downed drone fell in a residential courtyard, prompting evacuations to a temporary shelter organized at a nearby school. According to the governor’s account, there was one fatality and several injured.

Local residents told the Russian propaganda outlet ASTRA that the Saratov oil refinery came under attack.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting 121 drones over Russian Bryansk, Belgorod, Voronezh, Stavropol, Kaluga, Tula, Rostov  and Ryazan oblasts and occupied Crimea during the night.

The Saratov Oblast has faced regular drone attacks. On 1 July, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed that Defense Forces struck the Saratovgorsintez oil refinery in the Saratov region. Explosions occurred in Saratov and Engels on 5 July, where a Russian airbase is located from which aircraft launch strikes against Ukraine.

A Ukrainian drone attack on Russian infrastructure overnight on 7 August sparked fires at an oil refinery, a military base, and railway stations in separate regions of southern Russia. The strikes, confirmed by regional authorities and local footage, were part of Ukraine’s ongoing campaign to dismantle Russian military logistics, including fuel supply and transport nodes.

Refinery blaze at Afipsky in Krasnodar Krai

In Krasnodar Krai, a large fire erupted at the Afipsky oil refinery following a drone strike. Local residents shared videos of the blaze on Telegram, published by Exilenova+ and Russian news Telegram channel Astra. Authorities confirmed that flames engulfed the gas and gas condensate processing unit at the refinery. According to the Krasnodar governor, the fire was extinguished by 8:30 in the morning.

This was at least the fourth confirmed strike on the Afipsky refinery since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. In December 2023, an explosion damaged a fuel oil distillation unit at the same site. The refinery processes around 6–7 million tons of oil annually and plays a key role in supplying diesel fuel to Russia’s military and economy.

Military unit fire in Slavyansk-na-Kubani

Another major fire was reported at a military installation in Slavyansk-na-Kubani, also in Krasnodar Krai. Exilenova+ and Astra published video evidence from locals indicating that the fire broke out at military unit 61661 after it was hit by drones overnight.

No official casualty reports were released, but the footage showed a sustained fire on the grounds of the base. The extent of the damage remains unclear.

Ukrainian OSINT Telegram Cyberboroshno channel geoconfirmed the location of the strike, featured in the footage.

“As a result of the drone attack, fuel and lubricants were hit at the site of the 76th Separate Repair and Recovery Battalion in the settlement of Slavyansk-na-Kubani,” Cyberboroshno wrote. 

Port of Novorossiysk targeted by naval drones

In the port city of Novorossiysk, sirens sounded along the shoreline during an attempted naval drone strike. According to Astra, the mayor confirmed the attack and described the situation as an ongoing defense operation against unmanned surface vessels.

Novorossiysk hosts a key fuel terminal. The impact of the attempted strike is not known at the time of publication.

Volgograd rail infrastructure hit by long-range drones

In Volgograd Oblast, long-range Ukrainian drones hit two railway stations overnight. Videos posted by Exilenova+, Krymsky Veter, and Astra showed large flames at the site.

The oblast’s governor confirmed the attacks and said that fires broke out at the Surovikino station, while explosives experts were dealing with drone debris at the Maksima Gorkogo station. At Surovikino, a blaze engulfed an administrative building. The governor claimed there was no damage to railway infrastructure and that train movement continued “as normal.” 

Russian Telegram channel Astra also published images from the Surovikino area and cited eyewitness reports confirming the fires. At Maksima Gorkogo, sappers were dispatched to examine drone debris.

Russia claims it intercepted dozens of drones

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated it had downed 82 Ukrainian drones across several regions and occupied Crimea during the night. The claimed breakdown included 31 over the Sea of Azov, 11 over Crimea, 10 over Rostov Oblast, 9 over Krasnodar Krai, and smaller numbers in Volgograd, Belgorod, Kursk, and Oryol oblasts.