Key Russian oil transport hub in Bashkortostan burns after drone attack

The Subkhankulovo line production dispatch station, a division of Transneft-Ural’s Tuymazy oil pipeline department, was targeted in the attack.

A fire broke out after the strike, with one of the storage tanks catching fire. Footage from the scene shows thick black smoke rising high above the facility.

The station consists of three pumping stations and 10 storage tanks. Overall, the facility is responsible for operating four sections of oil pipelines with a combined length of more than 600 kilometers (373 miles).

The Subkhankulovo station is one of the key oil transportation hubs in Transneft’s Ural pipeline system. It pumps oil from fields in Western Siberia and Bashkortostan to refineries and major export pipelines.

Ukraine’s Defense Forces intensified strikes on targets in Russia and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories in the first half of 2026, including oil refineries and logistics facilities, resulting in the loss of about 40% of Russia’s oil refining capacity. The strikes have exacerbated fuel shortages in many Russian oblasts and in occupied Crimea, prompting local authorities to impose strict restrictions as lines formed at gas stations.

Amid the fuel shortages, Vladimir Putin’s approval rating fell by a record 5 percentage points to 66%, its lowest level in nearly four years, since the fall of 2022.

In July, Ukrainian drones struck warehouses belonging to Russian online retailer Wildberries in several Russian oblasts for the first time.

On July 22, strikes were reported on logistics centers in Krasnodar Krai and Stavropol Krai.