On the night of August 21, 2026, the 'LUKOIL-Permnefteorgsintez' oil refinery in Perm, Russia, was attacked. This facility is one of the largest oil refining enterprises in the country and part of the LUKOIL group. According to footage published by local residents on social media, a massive fire is raging on the site: thick black plumes of smoke are rising to great heights, and flames are engulfing industrial structures. Emergency response teams from Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS) are on the scene attempting to localize the fire. Official data regarding the extent of the damage and any casualties has not been released at the time of publication.
Reaction of Russian Authorities and Suspension of Flights
Local authorities in the Perm Krai are limiting their statements to the number of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) shot down, without directly commenting on the hit to the refinery's production infrastructure. Flights at Perm airport were suspended, which is standard procedure during the threat of a drone attack. Published photographs show firefighters in specialized gear with 'MChS Russia' on their vests directing hoses at the fire sources near industrial tanks and workshops.
Confirmation of Strike by Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly confirmed the strike on the facility in Perm. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) also confirmed reports of strikes on the territory of the Perm Krai. According to the BBC, Perm was subjected to drone attacks for two consecutive days, indicating a targeted series of operations to strike the region's oil refining infrastructure. The 'LUKOIL-Permnefteorgsintez' enterprise has already been the target of drone attacks multiple times during 2026, which points to a systematic nature of strikes against this object.
Series of Attacks in Southern Russia: Taganrog and Kuban
Parallel to the incident in Perm, according to Radio Liberty, UAV strikes were also recorded in southern Russia: a port is burning in Taganrog, and the Ilysky Oil Refinery has been damaged in the Kuban region. Thus, August 21, 2026, can be considered a day of a massive attack on the energy and oil refining infrastructure of several regions of the Russian Federation at once — from the Urals to the southern ports.
Moscow Region: Massive Attack and Power Outages
Meanwhile, in the Moscow region, following a massive drone attack, about 10,000 people were left without electricity. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that hundreds of drones were flying towards the region, dozens of which were shot down over the territory of the region. The scale of the attack on the Moscow region is comparable in volume to the simultaneous strikes on Perm and southern regions, highlighting the coordinated nature of the night operations.
Contradictory Data
There are a number of inconsistencies in the versions of the parties involved. Official Russian sources do not confirm the fact of a hit on the refinery, limiting themselves to reports on the interception of UAVs, while the Ukrainian side — from Zelenskyy to the SBU — directly states that a strike was delivered and shows the consequences. The scale of damage to the enterprise is not disclosed by the Russian side, which does not allow for an independent assessment of the degree of damage. Furthermore, the publication RBC-Ukraine previously published information about an alleged plan to attack Moscow airports with thousands of drones, for which Zelenskyy initially expressed concern, and subsequently the preparation for the operation was suspended. This version has not received official confirmation from either Kyiv or Moscow and remains in the category of publication data from a single source.
