In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Ukrainian drones struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries, ignited a fire at a major chemical plant, and disrupted critical railway supply lines in a series of coordinated attacks from September 13 to 14, 2025. The wave of strikes, confirmed by both Ukrainian military sources and Russian regional officials, underscores Kyiv’s growing reliance on long-range drone warfare to target infrastructure that supports Moscow’s war effort. The repercussions were felt far beyond the immediate blast zones, as fuel shortages, logistical bottlenecks, and heightened tensions spilled over into neighboring NATO countries, prompting urgent military responses and raising the specter of broader regional instability.
The most significant of these attacks targeted the Kirishi oil refinery in Russia’s Leningrad region, a facility operated by Surgutneftegas and responsible for processing approximately 17.7 million metric tons of crude oil per year—about 355,000 barrels per day. This output accounts for roughly 6.4% of Russia’s total refining capacity, making Kirishi one of the country’s top three refineries by volume, as reported by The Kyiv Independent. The refinery is located more than 800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, highlighting the impressive reach of Ukraine’s drone capabilities.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the overnight drone strike on September 13-14 set off explosions and a fire at the Kirishi facility. Regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko stated that three drones were intercepted by Russian air defenses in the area, but debris from one crashed onto the refinery grounds, sparking the blaze. "No one was injured, and the fire was put out," Drozdenko assured, as cited by AP News. Photographs and videos captured by local residents and circulated by Russian opposition media depicted towering flames and smoke billowing against the night sky. While these images could not be independently verified, the impact was clear: the attack disrupted operations at a vital node in Russia’s energy sector.
This was not the first time the Kirishi refinery had been targeted. Ukrainian military intelligence confirmed a previous drone strike on the facility in March 2025, which caused minor damage. The renewed assault comes amid a broader campaign by Ukraine to degrade Russia’s oil infrastructure—an effort that has already contributed to gasoline shortages across Russia. In recent weeks, some gas stations have run dry, motorists have queued in long lines, and authorities have imposed rationing or outright bans on gasoline sales. To mitigate the crisis, Russian officials paused gasoline exports, instituting a full ban until September 30 and a partial ban for traders and intermediaries until October 31, according to AP News.
The attacks were not limited to the oil sector. On the evening of September 13, a Ukrainian drone struck the Metafrax Chemicals plant in Gubakha, Perm Krai—an industrial site more than 1,800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. A source in Ukraine’s military intelligence told The Kyiv Independent that the strike damaged equipment used for urea production. Urea, while primarily used in agriculture, can also serve as a component in explosives manufacturing, adding a layer of strategic significance to the operation. The Metafrax plant, which launched a major ammonia-urea-melamine (AUM) facility in 2023, has already been sanctioned by both the U.K. and Ukraine.
Ukraine’s military intelligence also claimed responsibility for a complex sabotage operation targeting Russian railway logistics—a critical supply route for Russian forces operating in the Kharkiv and Sumy directions. On September 13, an explosion on the Oryol-Kursk railway line in Russia’s Oryol region killed two members of the Russian National Guard and seriously injured another during a demining operation. The blast, confirmed by Oryol Oblast Governor Andrey Klychkov, halted train service in the area. In a separate incident overnight on September 14, another explosion derailed a diesel locomotive near Gatchina in the Leningrad region, resulting in the death of the train’s driver. Governor Drozdenko announced an official investigation into possible sabotage. Additionally, a blast near the Stroganovo–Mshinskaya section of the Saint Petersburg–Pskov railway destroyed 15 fuel tankers filled with fuel, further compounding Russia’s logistical woes.
These strikes have not only strained Russia’s war logistics but have also raised alarms among its neighbors. On September 13, Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets after detecting a Russian drone breaching its airspace near the Danube Delta. The jets tracked the drone until it disappeared from radar, and authorities issued warnings to local residents to take cover. Polish authorities, meanwhile, temporarily closed Lublin Airport in eastern Poland as a precaution after renewed threats of drone strikes in Ukraine. These incidents follow a recent episode in which Polish fighter jets shot down Russian drones in their airspace—a first for a NATO member since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Romanian Foreign Minister Toiu Oana condemned Russia’s actions as "unacceptable and reckless," while President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine argued, "This cannot be an accident, a mistake, or the initiative of some lower-level commanders. It is a deliberate expansion of the war by Russia. This is how they operate—small steps at first, and in the end, great losses."
Elsewhere, Ukraine’s campaign extended to the Black Sea, where the Ukrainian Navy claimed responsibility for an attack on a communications hub of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in occupied Sevastopol overnight on September 11. The hub, located at the site of the 184th Research and Testing Facility, coordinated operations for Russian naval units. According to The Kyiv Independent, repeated Ukrainian drone and missile attacks have forced the Kremlin to reduce its naval presence in Sevastopol and other Black Sea Fleet locations, with several vessels—including the Caesar Kunikov landing ship and the Ivanovets missile corvette—destroyed in recent months.
Amid these mounting challenges, Russia’s domestic security situation remains volatile. On September 14, as Russians headed to the polls for local elections, the Central Election Commission and its electronic voting systems faced a wave of cyberattacks. Ella Pamfilova, head of the commission, described the situation as "an unprecedented attack" but insisted that the outcome of the votes would not be affected. Nearly 100 denial-of-service attacks were recorded on election-related online resources, according to Alexander Izhko of Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media and digital watchdog. The commission’s website was down for much of the day, though few observers expected any meaningful challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party, given the sweeping crackdown on dissent since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
As the war grinds on, Ukraine’s campaign of deep strikes into Russian territory appears to be inflicting tangible costs on Moscow’s military machine and domestic stability. The latest wave of attacks, spanning oil, chemical, and transportation infrastructure, has not only disrupted Russian operations but also drawn neighboring countries into a tense state of alert. With both sides showing little sign of backing down, the conflict’s ripple effects continue to spread, leaving ordinary Russians and Europeans alike bracing for what may come next.
