Another refinery attack, another fire: Kinef refinery ablaze in Leningrad Oblast drone strike (video, updated)

In the early hours of 4 October, drones again struck the Kinef oil refinery in Kirishi, Leningrad Oblast, 800 km from Ukraine. Ukrainian Telegram channels Exilenova+ and Supernova+ shared videos and photos from the scene, while Russian Telegram channel Astra confirmed a fire broke out after the attack.

Ukrainian channels share footage of refinery strike

At 03:12, Exilenova+ published the first photo, showing explosions and fires at the Kinef refinery. Later, the channel shared more photos and videos of the scene, and wrote that locals reported “arrivals” at the plant.

Exilenova+ geolocated footage from the scene, concluding that one of the clips was taken from a house facing the refinery.

Supernova+ also published videos from the attack overnight. The channel reported four incoming drones and described “direct hits” on refinery installations. 

Governor confirms attack

Russian news Telegram channel Astra reported that Kirishi was attacked by drones, citing governor Drozdenko, who said that “air defenses are working against drones in Kirishi. A fire broke out in the industrial zone. Fire services began extinguishing it.”

Astra also geolocated footage from the scene. The channel confirmed one photo was taken from Sovetskaya Street 19 in Kirishi, about four kilometers from the refinery, showing an explosion in "other direction from the plant." Astra also analyzed two photographs of the fire. One was taken on Energetikov Street 6, about 3.5 kilometers from the refinery, and the other on Mira Street 10 near the train station, about three kilometers away. The channel concluded that the images showed the Kinef refinery itself burning.

Later, governor Drozdenko claimed that air defenses destroyed seven drones over Kirishi and said the fire in the industrial zone had been extinguished. He added that environmental monitoring by Rospotrebnadzor showed no dangerous pollution levels.

Update

NASA FIRMS data confirm fires at the Kinef oil refinery near Kirishi in Russia’s Leningrad Oblast.