Saratov oil refinery suspends production after mass overnight drone attack and fuel fires
Saratov oil refinery (Photo: Astra/Telegram)
Saratov oil refinery suspended operations following an overnight drone attack, Russian publication Astra reported on March 21, citing sources.
The strike damaged a secondary oil refining unit and an RVS-10000 vertical reservoir. Sources within the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed this information. A 10,000-ton diesel fuel reservoir also caught fire, covering an area of 400 square meters. As a result of the attack, the facility halted its operations.
In addition to the refinery, drone debris fell on the local TEC-2 thermal power plant, and one drone exploded near a temporary detention center for juvenile offenders.
Saratov oil refinery is one of Russia's oldest oil refining enterprises. As of 2023, its oil refining volume stood at 4.8 million tons. As of Astra's estimates, the plant has been attacked at least 13 times since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Explosions were heard in the Russian city of Saratov overnight on March 21, with reports circulating online about an attack on the local refinery. AFU General Staff reported a drone attack and resulting damage at the facility, noting that a massive fire broke out at the oil storage site.
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