Drones hit oil depot near Belgorod and missile-fuel plant in Tver Oblast overnight

Why it matters

The overnight wave hit two facilities tied to Russian fuel supply chains: a regional oil depot serving industry and agriculture in Belgorod Oblast, and a chemical plant producing components for cruise-missile fuel. The Redkino plant was previously struck by drones in February of the same year, suggesting repeat targeting of a site linked to missile production inputs. Civilian disruptions extended beyond the impact zones: nine people were reported injured in Kaluga Oblast and three Moscow-area airports were closed for roughly seven hours.

What happened

On the night of October 9, drones struck multiple targets inside Russia. North of Belgorod, a fire broke out at an oil depot that supplies fuel to regional industrial, agricultural, and gas-station customers; NASA's FIRMS satellite system recorded the blaze. OSINT channel Exilenova+ published footage it said showed explosions in Belgorod and the aftermath of the strike. The Ukrainian military had not commented on the attack at the time of publication.

In Tver Oblast, drones hit the Redkino Experimental Plant, a large chemical enterprise that produces components of the Dezilin-M fuel used in Kh-55 and Kh-101 cruise missiles, as well as additives for diesel fuel and aviation kerosene. A fire broke out and was later extinguished. Tver Oblast Governor Vitaly Korolov said plant staff were evacuated to shelter in time and none were injured. The plant had been struck by drones before, in February of the same year.

In Kaluga Oblast, Governor Vladislav Shapsha said nine people were injured, five of them hospitalized, and private homes were damaged. Moscow's Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky airports were closed from roughly midnight until 7 a.m. on October 9, and a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Vnukovo (TK421) was turned back to Turkey. Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed 505 Ukrainian drones were intercepted during the night over Russian regions, occupied Crimea, and the Black and Azov seas.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

Ukrainian-language outlets identified the targets precisely and emphasized their strategic value: the Belgorod depot's role in supplying regional industry, agriculture, and gas stations, and the Redkino plant's production of Dezilin-M components for Kh-55 and Kh-101 cruise missiles. These reports noted that the Ukrainian military had not commented on the Belgorod attack at the time of publication and placed the overnight events in a longer arc, citing figures on dozens of strikes on Russian refineries since the start of the year and on Russian oil processing falling to its lowest level since 2002, according to EA Analytics.

Background

The Redkino Experimental Plant is one of the largest chemical enterprises in Tver Oblast and produces components of the Dezilin-M fuel used in Kh-55 and Kh-101 cruise missiles, as well as additives for diesel fuel and aviation kerosene. The Belgorod oil depot supplies fuel to industrial and agricultural enterprises in the region and to gas stations. The Redkino plant was previously struck by drones in February of the same year. Belgorod Oblast lies directly north of Ukraine's Kharkiv and Sumy regions and has been a frequent target area for cross-border strikes. Reporting cited figures indicating Ukrainian forces have struck Russian oil refineries more than 70 times since the start of the year. On September 20, U.S. President Donald Trump, during a phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky, reportedly urged Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries; Trump separately said Russia had "lost control" of its oil-refining sector due to the war. In August, six large Russian refineries were taken offline for repairs. According to EA Analytics, disruptions from strikes pushed Russian oil processing to its lowest level since 2002.