Radii Khabirov, the head of Bashkortostan, said debris from one of the drones fell in an industrial zone in Salavat, sparking a fire. He later clarified that 16 drones were shot down over Salavat and five more over the Chishminsky district, where the target was a Wildberries logistics center.
Ukrainian monitoring Telegram channels Exilenova+ and Supernova+ claim that the attack targeted Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat, one of Russia's largest oil refining and petrochemical complexes, located about 1,300 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. Local residents also reported a column of black smoke over the facility.
Khabirov added that a Ka-32 fire-rescue helicopter was working at the fire site in the Chishminsky district. According to him, two people were injured in the attacks, both hospitalized. Wildberries confirmed the attack and fire at the facility, noting that no goods were stored there and employees had been evacuated in advance.
The plant in Salavat is Gazprom's largest petrochemical enterprise, capable of processing 7.5 million tons of oil per year. This is not the first attack: on the night of July 14, after a drone strike, the enterprise suspended operations. Then, according to Reuters sources, both main primary oil refining units were damaged and shut down.
Since the beginning of August, at least four refineries in Russia have stopped processing after Ukrainian strikes. According to an S&P Global analysis, attacks have interrupted operations at at least 26 enterprises, seven of which had not resumed production by the end of July. By mid-August, residents of at least 16 regions again complained about queues at gas stations and fuel sales restrictions.