Air defense forces shot down most of the drones, but one reached the northern industrial hub, Omsk Region Governor Vitaly Khotsenko said. He did not name the plant itself and reported no damage or casualties.
The Omsk refinery, owned by Gazprom Neft, is located in that industrial hub. The local Telegram channel Omsk Civil Association reported a drone hitting the enterprise and a fire, and published photographs. The Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+, Astra, Siberia.Realities and The Moscow Times also reported a strike on the plant.
Omsk residents described a series of explosions near the refinery. "There's smoke from the pipes. Two explosions could be heard," one of them told Astra. Explosions and sirens were also heard in other parts of the city, and a drone alert was declared.
Authorities had earlier reported restrictions on mobile internet and the closure of Omsk airport.
The Telegram channel Omsk Civil Resistance reported complaints from university and college students that they were refused evacuation during the air raid alert. "The lecturer continues the lecture under the sirens, students were told to sit and take notes," the channel said. Students claim this has happened more than once at at least ten educational institutions.
The Omsk refinery has a capacity of about 22 million tonnes of oil a year and produces about 5 million tonnes of gasoline and 8 million tonnes of diesel. According to its website, the plant produces every sixth liter of Russian gasoline and fifth-class diesel fuel. The distance from Omsk to the Ukrainian border is more than 2,500 kilometers.
Ukrainian drones first struck the plant on July 6. At the time, according to Reuters, primary oil refining units were damaged and the enterprise halted operations. Governor Khotsenko then also wrote only about the "northern industrial hub."
The Omsk refinery became the second plant attacked in a day. Earlier, the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil refinery in Bashkortostan was hit; based on photos and video from eyewitnesses, Astra established that a fire broke out near the enterprise. The plant processes up to 10 million tonnes of hydrocarbon feedstock a year.
On the night of October 2, Ukrainian forces attacked four Russian refineries, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said. It later emerged that the Volgograd refinery had halted operations. According to Novak, Russian authorities and oil companies have strengthened the protection of oil refineries and are also working on support measures for the enterprises and the possibility of postponing their modernization deadlines.