Ukraine has confirmed a long-range drone strike on one of Russia’s biggest oil refining complexes, hitting deep inside Russian territory — nearly 1,400 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.

Kyiv’s military intelligence agency said the attack targeted Bashneft’s massive oil refinery on the outskirts of Ufa, the capital of Russia’s Bashkortostan region.

Regional governor Radiy Khabirov reported that one drone struck the facility while another was shot down, describing the incident as a “terrorist attack by aircraft-type drones.”

“There were no casualties or injuries. The production site sustained minor damage, and a fire broke out, which is currently being extinguished,” Khabirov said on Telegram.

Footage circulating on social media appeared to capture the moment the drone exploded, igniting a blaze and sending a column of smoke into the sky.

A source within Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency claimed responsibility for the strike. Ukrainian forces have intensified their campaign against Russian refineries throughout 2024, seeking to undermine Moscow’s war financing by targeting critical energy infrastructure.

The Bashneft facility is among Russia’s largest, producing more than 150 types of oil products, according to a Kremlin statement from 2016.

The attack comes as U.S. President Donald Trump urged NATO countries to fully stop purchasing Russian oil to tighten economic pressure on the Kremlin. Despite Western sanctions, NATO members including Turkey, Hungary, and Slovakia continue to import Russian crude.

Ukraine’s wave of drone strikes this summer has disrupted operations at multiple refineries across Russia, temporarily halting production and driving fuel prices higher.