Drones target key Russian refinery deep inside Nizhny Novgorod Oblast - video
UAV flying over Russia’s Kstovo in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, May 18, 2026 (Photo: Exilenova+ / Telegram)
Explosions rocked the Russian city of Kstovo in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast amid what local residents described as a drone strike, Russian Telegram channel Astra reported on May 18.
Smoke plumes were spotted rising above the city. The Nizhny Novgorod airport temporarily suspended its operations.
The UAVs were likely targeting the local oil refinery or oil pumping station, according to the Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+.
Kstovo is home to, among others, the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery. Ukrainian forces earlier struck the facility in April. The town also hosts the Starolikeevo pumping station, part of the Transneft pipeline network.
The Gorky oil pumping station is also located near Kstovo. It was the target of an SBU drone strike on April 23 which damaged three oil storage tanks.
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