Susanna Riva During the night of November 9, a barrage of Ukrainian drones crashed into the Leningrad region, sparking a fire at the Kirishi refinery , Russia's second-largest. The sudden explosion lit up the skies above the town of Kirishi, about 100 km southeast of St. Petersburg, as air defense forces began intercepting the unmanned aircraft.
Regional governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed that, in addition to the industrial fire, fallen cigarette butts hit the roof of a residential building in Vsevolozhsk, killing a woman who lived on the upper floor. The other residents were evacuated without further casualties. Local authorities stated that the building's main entrance did not require a full evacuation.
Immediate impact on Vsevolozhsk housing and industrial area
The crash of a drone fragment onto the roof of an apartment building was the first sign of a larger attack. The governor reported that the woman was the only direct victim, while emergency forces immediately began rescue operations and evacuated the residents.
At the same time, the industrial area of the Kirishky district was targeted: 81 units were shot down by anti-aircraft systems – one of the highest concentrations of interceptions recorded in a single region in recent months.
Damage and significance of the Kirishi refinery
The facility, officially known as Kirishinefteorgsintez Production Association LLC , is controlled by the energy giant Surgutneftegaz and has a capacity of approximately 350.000 barrels per day , corresponding to 7% of Russia's total refining output. Commissioned in 1966, the refinery is designed to process 20–21 million tons of crude oil annually into a range of products: gasoline, diesel, aviation kerosene, fuel oil, bitumen, and petrochemicals.
In addition to supplying the majority of fuel to St. Petersburg, the refinery supplies Pulkovo Airport with aviation kerosene. Previous attacks—particularly the one that forced the shutdown of the main unit, responsible for approximately 40% of capacity—had already jeopardized the continuity of supply. Sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom in 2025 have further isolated Surgutneftegaz and its subsidiary, but the refinery remains a key point for energy security in the northwest.
Refining capacity and strategic importance
With an annual production of approximately 20 million tons, Kirishinefteorgsintez is the only refinery of its size in the northwestern part of the country. Its location near important maritime and rail transport routes makes it a major source of fuel for the Russian armed forces operating in the area. The recent fire, therefore, had immediate repercussions not only on the domestic market but also on military logistics.
Military Response and the Bigger Drone Picture
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that it neutralized 430 drones domestically and in annexed Crimea between Sunday night and Monday morning, including 81 downed in the Leningrad region. In addition to intercepting them, forces carried out strikes against three electrical substations in Ukraine and seized a cargo ship believed to be carrying weapons for Ukrainian forces.
OSINT analysis comes from sources such as ASTRA and Exilenova+, which released videos of the large fires engulfing the refinery. NASA's FIRMS satellite recorded more than fifty thermal hotspots at the site, confirming the extent of the fire. The November 9 attack is part of a series of airstrikes that also hit the Saratov refinery and the Proton-Electrotex plant in Oryol during the same period.
The overall outcome, therefore, highlights a Ukrainian strategy aimed at weakening Russian oil infrastructure, while Moscow responds with intensified air defense and requests for international support to counter Kiev's growing use of UAVs . The death of the citizen of Vsevolozhsk underscores the human dimension of an increasingly technological conflict.