--- title: "Ukraine Strikes Lukoil Refinery in Kstovo: A Giant Wall of Black Smoke Rises Over the 17-Million-Ton Plant" description: "On the night of August 26, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Lukoil-Nizhnevogodsknefteorgsintez refinery in Kstovo, where a fire broke out. Zelenskyy reported that 16 Russian targets were hit in 24 hours." date: 2026-08-26T09:40:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-strikes-lukoil-refinery-in-kstovo tags: [ukraine-war, lukoil, refinery-strike, drone-attack, nizhny-novgorod, energy-infrastructure] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Ukraine Strikes Lukoil Refinery in Kstovo: A Giant Wall of Black Smoke Rises Over the 17-Million-Ton Plant ![Giant plume of black smoke over the Lukoil refinery in Kostovo after a Ukrainian strike](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/26/ukraina-porazila-npz-lukoil-v-kstovo/ukraina-porazila-npz-lukoil-v-kstovo-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - On the night of August 26, 2026, Ukrainian forces struck the Lukoil-Nizhnevogodsknefteorgsintez refinery in Kstovo, where a fire broke out. - According to the Unmanned Systems Forces, the target was located about 800 km from the Ukrainian border; the strike was delivered by operators of the 1st Operational Center together with other weapons systems. - The plant, with a capacity of about 17 million tons of crude oil per year, is part of the Lukoil group and produces gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel. - Zelenskyy reported that in 24 hours Ukraine applied "long-range sanctions" against 16 Russian targets, including oil facilities, airfields, and a missile unit. On the night of August 26, 2026, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck one of Russia's largest oil refineries — LLC "Lukoil-Nizhnevogodsknefteorgsintez" in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a statement from the Unmanned Systems Forces, and a statement by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the attack triggered a large-scale fire on the plant's territory, and a huge column of thick black smoke rose over the industrial zone, visible from many kilometers away. ### Confirmation of the Strikes and the Scale of Damage The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed that the plant was hit and reported that a fire broke out on its territory; the extent of the damage, according to the department, was still being assessed at the time of publication. Thus, official Ukrainian sources record both the fact of the strike and its immediate consequence — a fire at the production site — while final figures on equipment damage and losses in production capacity had not been disclosed at the time of writing. ### How the Strike Was Delivered The Unmanned Systems Forces noted that the Russian plant was hit by operators of the 1st Operational Center together with other components of the weapons systems; the distance to the target from the Ukrainian state border was approximately 800 kilometers. In addition, according to Fire Point, at night Ukrainian FP-1 drones simultaneously struck not only the refinery in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast but also the largest warehouse of the Wildberries network in Tambov Oblast, indicating a coordinated multi-target operation deep in the enemy's rear. ### What Is "Lukoil-Nizhnevogodsknefteorgsintez" The struck facility is part of the Lukoil group and is one of the largest oil refineries in the aggressor country, with a processing capacity of about 17 million tons of crude oil per year. The plant produces automotive gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel, fuel oil, bitumen, sulfur, and other petroleum products, and, according to Ukrainian military assessments, is used to meet the needs of the Russian occupiers, making it a key element of fuel logistics and the war economy. ### Context: 16 Targets in 24 Hours President Zelenskyy emphasized that in just 24 hours Ukraine applied so-called "long-range sanctions" against 16 targets on Russian territory. In the head of state's statement, he spoke of "long-range responses" against oil facilities — the "Russian oil wallet funding the war" — as well as against airfields, a missile unit, infrastructure used for strikes on Ukraine, a military enterprise, and Russian logistics. Zelenskyy stated that "the war must be returned to where it came from" and that Ukraine responds to enemy strikes in such a way that "the price of war for the aggressor inevitably rises." ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Ukraine Strikes 16 Russian Targets in 24 Hours: Refineries, Airfields, and a Missile Unit Hit](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrayina-dobu-vdarila-16-ob-ektah-rf-urazheni-1787736610.html) - Подтверждает удар по НПЗ и заявление Зеленского о 16 объектах за сутки. - [Lukoil's Giant in Flames: Drones Attack 17-Million-Ton Refinery Near Kstovo](https://glavred.info/war/gigant-lukoyla-v-ogne-drony-atakovali-npz-pod-kstovo-moshchnostyu-17-mln-tonn-10791428.html) - Указывает на мощность завода около 17 млн тонн и возгорание после атаки дронов. - [Strike Delivered on Lukoil-Nizhnevogodsknefteorgsintez Refinery - General Staff](https://gazeta.ua/ru/articles/politics/_nanesli-udar-po-npz-lukojlnizhegorodnefteorgsintez-genshtab/1257377) - Фиксирует подтверждение удара со стороны Генштаба ВСУ. - [Attack on Kstovo Refinery on August 26: Large-Scale Fire Breaks Out After Drone Strike](https://fakty.com.ua/ru/svit/20260826-ataka-na-npz-u-kstovo-26-serpnya-pislya-udaru-droniv-spalahnula-masshtabna-pozhezha/) - Подтверждает дату 26 августа и масштабный пожар после удара дронов. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What target was struck on the night of August 26? **A:** The Lukoil-Nizhnevogodsknefteorgsintez refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, was struck. It is part of the Lukoil group and has a capacity of about 17 million tons of crude oil per year. ### Q: How far from the Ukrainian border was the plant located? **A:** According to the Unmanned Systems Forces, the distance to the target from the Ukrainian state border was approximately 800 kilometers. ### Q: How many Russian targets, according to Zelenskyy, were struck in 24 hours? **A:** Zelenskyy reported that in 24 hours Ukraine applied "long-range sanctions" against 16 Russian targets, including oil facilities, airfields, a missile unit, a military enterprise, and logistics. ### Q: What is the scale of damage to the plant? **A:** The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported a fire on the plant's territory; the extent of the damage was still being assessed at the time of publication.