On Sunday morning, July 12, Russia once again recorded attacks by unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles. This time, the strikes hit Syzran — a city in the Samara region, home to one of the country's key oil refineries.
Information about the attack appeared in Russian Telegram channels and OSINT publications, which promptly published footage from the scene. According to these sources, drones attacked the Syzran Oil Refinery (NPP). In the published videos, a powerful column of black smoke can be seen rising above the enterprise's territory.
Warning of Unmanned Threat
Samara Region Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev confirmed that on the night of July 12, at 03:07, a threat of unmanned danger was declared in the region. However, he did not provide additional details regarding the scale of the attack or the consequences for infrastructure.
Around 5 a.m., the first video recordings from the NPP in Syzran began to circulate on social media. They clearly show how fire engulfed part of the plant's territory, and fire brigades are trying to localize the fire. Witnesses report that the attack is still ongoing at the time of publication.
History of Attacks on Russian Refineries
This is not the first attack on the Syzran Refinery. Back in May, Reuters reported that after a strike by Ukrainian drones on May 21, the enterprise temporarily suspended operations. At that time, the strike hit one of the plant's key units, leading to significant disruptions in its activities.
According to the Financial Times, as a result of a series of Ukrainian attacks, Russia could have lost between 20% and 40% of its oil refining capacity. These losses have already led to a fuel crisis affecting more than 50 million Russians.
Scale of the Problem
Earlier, RBK-Ukraine reported that, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after the attack on the Omsk Refinery, there were no oil refineries in Russia that had not been subjected to strikes. This indicates the systemic nature of attacks on the country's energy infrastructure.
The situation in Syzran once again highlights the vulnerability of Russian industrial facilities in the face of modern warfare technologies. Drone attacks are becoming more frequent and effective, causing serious damage to the economy and the daily lives of the population.
