Drones reportedly targeted Stavrolen LLC, one of Russia’s largest petrochemical producers, in the city of Budyonnovsk in the Stavropol Territory early Wednesday morning, Nov. 12.
According to Russian Telegram channels, explosions were heard following the announcement of an air raid alert. Local authorities warned of possible restrictions on mobile internet and disruptions to digital television services.
The Exilenova+ Telegram channel published videos showing explosions and flashes in the area.
Later, regional governor Vladimir Vladimirov confirmed that air defense forces had repelled a drone attack over the Budyonnovsk district. He said debris from downed drones caused a fire in the city’s industrial zone.
“Firefighters and emergency services are working at the scene. According to preliminary data, there are no casualties, and residential buildings were not damaged,” Vladimirov said.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that four drones were shot down over the Stavropol Territory overnight.
Meanwhile, several local media outlets reported that the Stavrolen enterprise - a major producer of polyethylene and benzene - was among the targets.
“Budennovsk, Stavropol Territory - video of the fire after the attack on LLC Stavrolen. Local authorities have mentioned debris but not the site, while residents confirmed it was the Stavrolen plant,” Exilenova+ wrote.
The Budyonnovsk Gas Processing Plant, which processes up to 2.2 billion cubic meters of gas annually, also plays a key role in supplying the Budyonnovsk CHPP, Lukoil facilities, and the region’s petrochemical industry.
The Special Operations Forces (SSO) later reported the successful strike on Stavrolen.
“On the night of Nov. 12, the Deep Strike units of the Special Operations Forces carried out a successful fire defeat of the petrochemical enterprise Stavrolen,” the Telegram report read.
Several SSO drones reached their target, and the strike was reportedly confirmed by local residents on social media. The General Staff of Ukraine also confirmed the enterprise was struck.
According to the report, the plant operates a full cycle of hydrocarbon processing and produces polymers used in composite materials, vehicle body parts, seals, insulation for various Russian military equipment, and components for UAVs.
“Numerous explosions and fires were recorded in the target area. The results of the attack are being clarified,” the report added.
In addition, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck an ammunition depot in the temporarily occupied Novy Svit settlement of the Donetsk region. Explosions were recorded at the site, and the extent of the damage is still being assessed.
This was not the first attack on the facility - Stavrolen was previously targeted on Oct. 29 as part of Ukraine’s broader campaign against Russian energy infrastructure.
Drones struck multiple targets across Russia early Oct. 29, setting fire to an oil depot in the Ulyanovsk region and briefly disrupting flights at airports from Moscow to the North Caucasus.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, air defenses shot down about 100 drones overnight.
However, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) confirmed they carried out coordinated deep strikes on “three major energy targets” - the Mariysk Oil Refinery in Mari El, the Novospassky Refinery in the Ulyanovsk region, and the Budyonnovsk Gas Refinery in the Stavropol Territory.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine’s drone and missile strikes have destroyed up to 27% of Russia’s fuel production capacity, forcing Moscow to reroute supplies and import fuel from abroad.
Since August, Ukraine has intensified drone operations against Russian oil and gas infrastructure, temporarily disabling nearly 40% of refineries by early October and sparking nationwide fuel shortages.