Record FP-1 Drone Strike: Satellite Images Show Damage to Gas Plants in Yamal

On September 9, Ukrainian FP-1 drones delivered a record-range strike on two major gas enterprises in Yamal — the Novy Urengoy Condensate Preparation Plant for Transport (ZPKT) and the Purovsky Gas Condensate Processing Plant (ZPK). This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Telegram channel "KyberBorshno," which published satellite images of the attack's aftermath. According to analysts' estimates, the strike on the Urengoy ZPKT occurred at a distance of more than 3,000 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, making it the most distant target hit since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Record Range: FP-1 Drones Reach Yamal for the First Time

As researchers note, FP-1 drones for the first time traveled more than 3,000 kilometers and hit the gas de-ethanization unit at the Urengoy ZPKT. This "Gazprom Pererabotka" facility is located 18 kilometers from Novy Urengoy in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The GUR, for its part, announced a record wartime strike on Russian industry, emphasizing that the drones hit two major gas plants in Yamal. Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that a fire broke out at the plant following the September 9 attack.

What Exactly Was Hit at the Urengoy ZPKT

Experts point out that this strike is fundamentally different from attacks on oil refineries, because gas processing is the first link in the chain converting unstable gas condensate into marketable products. The ZPKT has a design capacity of about 19.5 million tons of feedstock per year, and its de-ethanization gases are supposed to feed the Novy Urengoy Petrochemical Complex (NGKhK), which produces up to 400,000 tons of low-density polyethylene annually. According to analysts' estimates, this accounts for about 10% of Russia's polyethylene and polypropylene production capacity, with a total volume of about 3.8 million tons per year. Hitting the de-ethanization unit means disrupting the entire chain from condensate to polyethylene.

Purovsky ZPK and NOVATEK's Export Capacity

The second target was the capacity of the Purovsky Gas Condensate Processing Plant — a key processing facility of NOVATEK, located near the city of Tarko-Sale. According to experts, the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) drying unit (UO LPG) was hit, which brings the LPG quality up to international export standards. Without it, the product retains excess methanol and water. The Purovsky ZPK processes all de-ethanized gas condensate from NOVATEK's fields; the 2024 processing volume was 13.2 million tons.

Significance of the Strike for Russian Industry

Together, the two hits affect both the domestic polymer production chain and export gas capacity. Satellite images published by "KyberBorshno" record fire spots and equipment damage at both facilities. Experts emphasize that strikes on the primary links of gas processing hit the entire subsequent chain of marketable production, making them more economically significant than pinpoint attacks on individual workshops.