In Russia, after a drone attack, a fire at the Druzhba oil pipeline station - public pages

On the night of October 20, drones attacked the Tambov region of Russia. A fire broke out at an industrial enterprise in the Michurinsky district. According to preliminary data, the Nikolskoye oil pumping station, which is part of the infrastructure of the Druzhba main pipeline system, may have been hit.

This was reported by the independent Russian publication Astra, which conducted an OSINT analysis of video recordings from the scene.

According to the publication, a drone attack lasted for several hours in the Michurinsk area. Local residents reported explosions and air defense operations, after which video recordings of a massive fire appeared.

An Astra specialist analyzed eyewitness footage and concluded that the fire probably occurred on the territory of the Nikolskoye-1 linear production and dispatch station. According to a preliminary assessment, the fire engulfed one of the two production sites of the enterprise near the village of Novonikolskoye.

The monitoring Telegram channel Exilenova+ also published video recordings of the fire, noting that it occurred at the Nikolskaya oil pumping station. According to local residents, a diesel fuel tank may have caught fire. There is currently no official confirmation of this information.

The governor of the Tambov region, Yevgeny Pervyshov, confirmed a fire on the territory of one of the enterprises in the Michurinsky district. According to him, the fire was caused by a drone attack. Fire and rescue units were involved in extinguishing it.

The Russian official also stated that during the night and morning, four drones were allegedly shot down over the Tambov region, three of which were by mobile firing groups. According to his information, there were no casualties. The governor did not disclose the name of the enterprise or the nature of the damage.

The Nikolskoye linear production and dispatch station is part of Russia's main oil pipeline infrastructure. The facility ensures the reception, storage, and pumping of oil and petroleum products and is connected to the Transneft-Druzhba system.

Stations of this type are used to maintain the transportation of raw materials and fuel through pipelines. At the same time, the actual impact of the current fire on the operation of the Druzhba system is still unknown. There is currently no confirmation of a pumping shutdown or data on the extent of equipment damage.

This is not the first attack on this facility. According to Astra, in the summer of 2025, Ukrainian drones attacked the Nikolskoye station at least twice. At that time, fires were also reported on the territory of the enterprise.

Information about the consequences of the October 20 attack is being clarified.