One of Russia's Largest Refineries Catches Fire in Kstovo: What is Known About the Attack

On the night of November 1, 2026, the city of Kstovo in the Nizhny Novgorod region came under attack, resulting in a massive fire on the territory of the Kstovo Oil Refinery. Footage of the burning facility spread widely across social media from early morning, and OSINT channels specified that one of the country's largest refineries was targeted.

Chronicle of Events: Explosions and Fire at Multiple Points

According to reports, videos of the fire in Kstovo began appearing on social media at approximately 04:11. Local residents complained about loud explosions in the city. OSINT channels tracking the situation clarified that the Kstovo Oil Refinery was the target of the attack, after which a massive fire broke out at the facility. In published footage, fire can be seen in several places across the enterprise's territory.

Official Stance and Aviation Restrictions

At the time of writing, local authorities had not commented on the situation, and the type of weapons used to attack the plant has not been officially disclosed. Taking into account the practice of recent months, observers note that it is highly likely a drone attack. Against this backdrop, Rosaviatsiya announced restrictions on the operation of airports, including at least in Nizhny Novgorod.

Significance of the Target: Lukoil's Largest Asset

The Kstovo Refinery is among the top five largest oil refineries in Russia and is the largest by installed capacity among Lukoil enterprises. Its design capacity is about 17 million tons of oil per year, making the facility a key link in the country's refining sector.

Context: A Series of Strikes on Refineries

The attack on Kstovo was a continuation of a series of incidents at oil refining enterprises. Thus, on the night of October 30, Novokuybyshevsk in the Samara region came under a drone attack, where a fire also broke out on the territory of the local refinery after the strike. The recurrence of such episodes points to a steady trend of attacks on refining infrastructure.

Diplomatic Background

Against the backdrop of ongoing strikes on refineries, media reports emerged that during a meeting in Oslo on October 20, U.S. President's son-in-law Jared Kushner reportedly "very harshly" demanded that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stop strikes on Russian oil refineries. These statements emphasize that the issue of attacks on energy infrastructure is reaching the level of diplomatic negotiations.