Watch: Thick smoke engulfs Russian oil refinery after Ukrainian drone strike

A major fire erupted at an oil refinery in the Russian city of Novokuybyshevsk late Friday night following a drone attack, Ukrainian media reported.Video footage of the aftermath shows several huge columns of smoke billowing into the sky, with numerous social media users describing the scene as an unprecedented sight.The Novokuybyshevsk Oil Refinery, located in Russia’s Samara Oblast, produces a range of petroleum products, including jet fuel used by the Russian Air Force.RBC-Ukraine, citing Russian outlet ASTRA, the monitoring channel Exilenova+ and local authorities, reported that explosions and air defence activity were heard across the city before officials declared a drone attack threat. The alert was issued at around 6 am, and Samara airport was temporarily shut down.The refinery, owned by the state-controlled oil giant Rosneft, has reportedly come under Ukrainian drone attack for the second time this year, after an earlier strike in August.Satellite images taken by Planet Labs on October 30 and shared online reveal the damage left by the latest strike, according to the Ukrainian investigative outlet Schemes.Kyiv has stepped up its long-range attacks on Russian oil refineries, fuel depots and other energy infrastructure, aiming to disrupt fuel supplies to Russia’s military and cut into the revenue Moscow uses to fund its war in Ukraine.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.