Russia claims nearly 50 UAVs hit seven regions, oil refinery fire erupts in Volgograd region

On the night of January 31, unidentified drones launched a fresh assault on multiple regions across Russia. Notably, an oil depot in the Volgograd region was set ablaze following a drone attack. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that 49 drones targeted seven regions nationwide.

The Russian Defense Ministry and Russian Telegram channels reported this.

"During last night [on January 31 – ed.], 49 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted and destroyed by regular air defense means," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

In particular, according to the Russian agency:

• 25 UAVs were allegedly intercepted and destroyed over the Rostov region,
• another eight – allegedly over the Volgograd region,
• six – over the Kursk region,
• four – over the Yaroslavl region,
• two each – over the territories of the Belgorod, Voronezh regions and Krasnodar regions.

According to the Russians, the sounds of explosions, drone flights, and gunfire were heard around 3 a.m. local time.

The SHOT channel wrote that they were heard in the area of ​​the local refinery in the Krasnoarmeysky district.

According to other media and publications, the Lukoil oil refinery, located directly in Volgograd, was attacked.

"According to local sources, at 4 a.m. [local time – ed.], Ukrainian drones attacked the area of ​​the oil refinery, thermal power plant, and oil depot in Volgograd. There is no official confirmation, denial, or information about the consequences yet," the Russian service of the BBC reported.

Members of a local group on a Russian social network reported explosions, specifically in the southern end of Volgograd.

One user wrote that "the whole apartment shook," specifying that it was located in the Krasnoarmeysky district – according to the Russian Air Force, this is where the Volgograd refinery is located.

Additionally, both Russian and Ukrainian media outlets have published videos, likely recorded by residents, capturing the sound of a drone overhead followed by an explosion.

Official information regarding the attack emerged later in the morning. Andrey Bocharov, the region governor, confirmed that a fire had occurred at the refinery, attributing it to a UAV allegedly "falling into the debris." However, he did not specify the city where the attack took place.

"An attack by eight UAVs was repelled in the Volgograd region. As a result of the debris of one of the UAVs, a fire broke out on the territory of the oil refinery, which was quickly extinguished," the governor said.

Bocharov also claims that one worker was allegedly injured in the attack and hospitalized.

Later, the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrii Kovalenko, reported that on the night of Friday, January 31, one of the largest oil refineries in the Russian Federation, located in the Volgograd region, was attacked.

"The Volgograd Oil Refinery was hit. It is one of the largest in the Russian Federation," Kovalenko wrote.

He also specified that the refinery's design processing capacity is about 14 million tons of oil per year, making it the sixth largest refinery in Russia. The plant produces gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, and aviation fuel.

For reference:

It should be noted that yesterday, January 30, the Novozybkov distribution station of the Druzhba oil pipeline in the Bryansk region may have been attacked. At least, the ASTRA channel reported that drones tried to attack it.

Later, footage of the fire in Novozybkov was published on the network, and satellites also recorded a fire in the area of ​​the Druzhba oil pipeline station.

As reported, on the night of January 24, drones of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine's armed forces, in cooperation with other components of the Defense Forces, struck the production facilities of the Ryazan Oil Refining Company and the Kremniy El microelectronics plant in Bryansk.

Furthermore, on the night of January 21, the Ukrainian Defense Forces conducted a drone strike targeting several key facilities within Russia, including an oil depot in the Voronezh region and an aircraft factory near Smolensk.

On the night of January 20, a series of powerful explosions rocked the Russian city of Kazan in the Republic of Tatarstan, following earlier warnings of a potential UAV attack. In response, the city's airport suspended operations, and debris from the incident sparked a fire at a local enterprise.

Moreover, on the night of January 16, a series of explosions were heard in the Tambov region of Russia near the city of Kotovsk and the village of Kuzmino-Gat, where a gunpowder plant is located. Air defense systems were operating in the region. Also, in the Voronezh region of the Russian Federation, local authorities reported an attack by drones on an oil depot.

In addition, on the night of January 14, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out the most massive strike on military facilities of the Russian army at a distance of 200 to 1,100 km deep into Russian territory. In particular, targets in the Bryansk, Saratov, Tula regions, and the Republic of Tatarstan were attacked.