OMM Newsroom
Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under the terrorism statute after a large-scale drone attack in Nizhny Novgorod Region on Saturday night, AnewZ reported. The attack damaged an industrial facility and civilian infrastructure.
Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said on Sunday that the case had been opened under Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers terrorist acts. Investigators are identifying the types of drones used and members of the Ukrainian armed formations involved in the attack, she said.
Regional Governor Gleb Nikitin said more than 100 drones had been destroyed over the region overnight and through Sunday morning. Preliminary information indicated that a facility in Kstovo District had been seriously damaged, but there were no casualties. A utility facility was also damaged. Residents were warned of possible power outages and reduced heating and hot water supplies.
Damaged facility reportedly an oil refinery
Russian officials have not named the damaged facility. Ukrainian media and open-source monitoring projects reported that drones struck the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery in Kstovo. It is one of Russia’s largest refineries, with an annual capacity of about 17 million tonnes of crude oil. Footage circulating online showed a large fire, but the identity of the target has not been officially confirmed.
The regional government said it had taken steps to maintain fuel supplies at filling stations and urged drivers not to buy fuel in a panic. Ukraine has not commented on the attack.
Dispute over attacks on oil refineries
The strike came amid a dispute over Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Moscow said a day earlier that Kyiv had resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries despite US President Donald Trump’s request to halt them. Trump said the attacks had pushed up diesel prices ahead of next week’s US midterm elections.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who oversees the energy sector, said on Sunday that Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries were worsening imbalances in the global fuel market. He did not refer to the attack in Nizhny Novgorod Region.
