Ukrainian drones strike Iskra Plant in Ulyanovsk and Lukoil refinery in Perm
In the night of September 25, Ukrainian drones struck Russian industrial and energy targets in Ulyanovsk and Perm, hitting the Iskra Plant, part of the Almaz-Antey defense concern, and the Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez oil refinery. A large fire broke out at the refinery, and regional authorities in Ulyanovsk reported damage to industrial and civilian infrastructure.
Key points
- Explosions were reported in the Russian cities of Ulyanovsk and Perm in the night of September 25.
- UAVs hit the Iskra Plant in Ulyanovsk, which is part of the Almaz-Antey concern and supplies components used in Kh-59M2/M2A guided missile production.
- Ulyanovsk Oblast Governor Alexei Russkikh confirmed a 'massive' UAV attack and reported damage to industrial and civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings damaged by falling debris, with eight injuries reported.
- UAVs attacked the Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez oil refinery in Perm on the morning of September 25, sparking a large-scale fire and damaging the AVT-5 installation.
- Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez is one of Russia's largest oil refineries, processing more than 13 million tons of oil per year and producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
- Drones also reportedly struck Voronezh in the same wave of attacks, where Voronezhsintezkauchuk was said to be on fire.
Why it matters
The strikes hit two strategically significant Russian targets in a single wave: a defense-industrial plant linked to Almaz-Antey and the production of guided missile components, and one of Russia's largest oil refineries. The Perm facility processes more than 13 million tons of oil a year, producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, so any sustained disruption has meaningful implications for Russian energy output. At the same time, Ulyanovsk regional authorities reported injuries and damage to residential buildings from drone shootdowns and falling debris, underscoring that strikes deep inside Russia continue to carry civilian consequences.
What happened
In the night of September 25, Ukrainian UAVs struck Russian industrial and energy targets in Ulyanovsk and Perm. In Ulyanovsk, the drones hit the Iskra Plant, a scientific-production enterprise that is part of the Almaz-Antey defense concern and is linked to air-defense systems and weapons production. Ulyanovsk Oblast Governor Alexei Russkikh confirmed a 'massive' UAV attack and reported damage to industrial and civilian infrastructure; local authorities said residential buildings were damaged by drone shootdowns and falling debris, and eight people were injured. In Perm, the drones attacked the Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez oil refinery on the morning of September 25, sparking a large-scale fire and damaging the AVT-5 atmospheric-vacuum distillation installation. The same wave of attacks also reportedly struck Voronezh, where Voronezhsintezkauchuk was said to be on fire. Local authorities had not reported the full consequences of the Perm refinery attack at the time of publication.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on whether the Ulyanovsk attack caused injuries and civilian damage: one report, citing Ulyanovsk Oblast Governor Alexei Russkikh, describes damage to industrial and civilian infrastructure, residential building damage from drone shootdowns and debris, and eight injuries; the other Ukrainian reports on the strike do not mention any casualties or residential impact. Sources also frame the Ulyanovsk attack differently, with one report characterizing it as a 'massive' UAV attack while another describes the Iskra Plant strike without characterizing the overall scale of the assault.
Background
The Iskra Plant in Ulyanovsk is part of the Almaz-Antey concern, is linked to air-defense and weapons production, participates in Russian import-substitution programs for the military-industrial complex and aerospace sector, and supplies components to the Yaroslavl Radio Plant for the production of Kh-59M2/M2A guided missiles. The plant had recently opened a new production section for digital blocks and microwave modules used in radar systems. Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez is one of Russia's largest oil refineries, processing more than 13 million tons of oil a year and producing automotive gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. The Perm refinery had previously been targeted on September 7 and, reportedly, on August 21, when an atmospheric-vacuum distillation unit may have been damaged.