In Russia, a fire broke out at an oil refinery following a drone attack; a military factory may also have been targeted (Updated)

In the night and morning of August 19, drones attacked several regions of Russia. Explosions and consequences were reported in Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod region, Ufa and Vladimir. In Dzerzhinsk, after the attack, thick smoke appeared over the city, whose source with high probability is located on the territory of the Sverdlov defense plant, according to Astra's OSINT analysis.

Witnesses published videos of the attack and massive smoke. Astra also established damage to a multi-storey residential building in Dzerzhinsk. Later, the governor of Nizhny Novgorod region stated that, according to preliminary data, there are no casualties in the region as a result of the attack.

At the same time, the publication emphasizes that it was possible to localize with high probability exactly the source of smoke, not the fact of hitting of a specific object, on the territory of the plant.

The Yakov Sverdlov Plant is part of Russia's military-industrial complex and is one of the largest producers of explosives in the country. The enterprise is under sanctions of Ukraine, the EU, the USA, Great Britain, Japan and Switzerland. The plant has already been repeatedly attacked by drones.

In Ufa, damage was reported at one of the oil refineries following a drone attack. The head of Bashkortostan, Radiy Khabirov, stated that one of the drones crashed in an industrial zone, after which a small fire broke out on the refinery grounds.

According to preliminary data from Russian authorities, the drone damaged a processing unit that was undergoing repairs at the time of the attack. Khabirov stated that they plan to restore the equipment within a few days. He did not specify the name of the facility or the nature of the damage.

In total, according to the governor, six drones attacked Ufa this morning, four of which were reportedly shot down. Another drone struck a residential building in the Zaton neighborhood. A student from India was injured there, but his life is not in danger.

The consequences of the attack were also reported in Vladimir. Governor of Vladimir region Alexander Avdeev stated that there are no casualties, but buildings in the dacha sector were damaged. No serious destruction was recorded, according to him.

Monitoring channel Exilenova+ also reported about explosions in Novomoskovsk, Tula region. At the time of publication, there were no confirmed data about objects hit or consequences there. The channel also recorded explosions in Dzerzhinsk and reports from local residents about a drone falling near a multi-storey building.

Later, Governor of Nizhny Novgorod region Gleb Nikitin stated that 52 drones attacked the region at night. According to him, preliminary no casualties. As a result of falling debris, two private houses, outbuildings and cars were damaged, and windows in an apartment building were broken out. The extent of damage is being clarified.