UAV event in Nizhny Novgorod, Kstovo, Lukoil-Nizhegorodorgsintez Refinery area, Russian Federation on Wed 20th May 2026

Ukraine struck one of Russia's largest oil refineries on May 20, Ukraine's General Staff said — marking the second reported hit on the site within a week.

According to the General Staff, an AVT-6 oil refining unit was hit, leading to a subsequent fire at the Lukoil-Nizhegorodorgsintez refinery near the town of Kstovo in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.

Residents of the city of Kstovo in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast reported seeing drones approaching the refinery in the early morning, followed by reports of explosions in the area.

Smoke was seen billowing out of the refinery following a Ukrainian drone attack on the region, independent Russian Telegram media channel ASTRA reported.

The attack marks the second time the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery has been struck in the past week, with a fire previously reported following a Ukrainian attack on May 18.

Following the initial attack, Ukraine's General Staff said the refinery "is one of the largest oil refining enterprises of the Russian Federation" with a processing capacity of around 17 million tons of oil annually.

According to the Ukrainian military, the facility produces gasoline, diesel fuel, and aviation fuel "used to support the needs of the Russian occupation forces."

Also, the General Staff confirmed attacks on Russian targets inside occupied territories.

Russia's command and observation posts in occupied parts of Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia were struck. Russia's ammunition depot in the Marinivka area of Zaporizhzhia Oblast and a Russian repair unit in Siverskodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast, were also struck.

Ukraine's military also reportedly struck the Nevinnomyssk Azot plant in Russia's southern Stavropol Krai overnight on May 20, Russian Telegram media channels reported.

The plant is one of Russia's largest producers of mineral fertilizers and chemicals used in manufacturing explosives. The plant produces up to 1 million tons of ammonia and more than 1 million tons of ammonium nitrate annually, materials used in the production of explosives and artillery shells.

Nevinnomyssk Mayor Mikhail Minenkov reported active air defenses above the city amid the attack. Local residents reported explosions and a fire seen in the city earlier in the night, according to Russian Telegram channels.

Stavropol Krai Governor Vladimir Vladimirov claimed in a post on Telegram that air defenses had repelled a drone attack aimed at an unspecified "industrial zone" in Nevinnomyssk, with no damage caused.

The Kyiv Independent cannot verify the reports or claims made by Russian officials. The extent of the damage caused was not immediately clear.

Nevinnomyssk Azot has also been repeatedly targeted during the full-scale war, most recently in a reported strike on May 16. Previous strikes on the plant have also been reported in March and January 2026, as well as multiple times in 2025. The latest alleged attack marks at least the seventh time Ukraine has targeted the facility since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Ukraine's military has not yet commented on the attack.

Ukraine has increasingly relied on domestically produced drones to strike targets deep inside Russia, particularly facilities tied to oil refining, logistics, and defense production.

Kyiv continued its attacks against Russian oil refineries on May 19, striking an oil pumping station in Yaroslavl Oblast.