Drone attacks were reported across several Russian regions overnight into Tuesday, Feb. 17, with fires breaking out at energy and industrial facilities, according to Russian officials and local Telegram channels.
The Telegram channel Exilenova+ reported that drones struck the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region overnight, triggering a fire at the site.
The Krasnodar regional operational headquarters later confirmed that a drone attack caused a fire at the refinery. According to officials, a petroleum storage tank was damaged, sparking a blaze covering about 700 square meters. Emergency crews deployed 72 personnel and 21 vehicles to extinguish the fire, and a fire train was sent to the scene.
Separately, the Russian Telegram channel Astra reported that drones struck the Metafrax Chemicals plant in the city of Gubakha in the Perm region, causing a fire.
Perm region governor Dmitry Makhonin confirmed that drones had reached the region but said no casualties were reported. Local residents cited by Astra said they heard multiple explosions before the fire broke out. Reports from the region also indicated temporary disruptions to mobile internet services.
Metafrax Chemicals is one of the largest producers of methanol in Russia and Europe. The plant manufactures methanol, hexamine, urea and pentaerythritol – chemical components used in the production of explosives and other military-grade materials.
After 2024, the enterprise came under Russian state control and is currently under Western sanctions. Due to its role in supplying Russia’s defense-industrial complex, it is considered part of the country’s military-industrial infrastructure.
The facility is located more than 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) from the Ukrainian border, underscoring the growing range of Ukrainian long-distance drone operations.
In the Krasnodar region, debris from drones damaged a locomotive depot in the Krymsky district, the regional operational headquarters said. No injuries were reported.
In Izhevsk, authorities suspended classes in some schools after drone alerts were issued, the head of the Udmurt Republic Alexander Brechalov said. Drone alerts were also reported in Kazan, according to local channels.
In temporarily occupied Mariupol in the Donetsk region, Telegram channels also reported a fire in the port area following drone activity, though there was no immediate official confirmation.
Meanwhile, in occupied Sevastopol, Russian-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said air defenses intercepted more than 24 drones overnight in what he described as one of the longest attacks in recent months.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that overnight on Feb. 17 its air defenses “destroyed and intercepted” 151 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones. According to the ministry, 50 were downed over the Black Sea, 38 over occupied Crimea, 29 over the Sea of Azov, 18 over the Krasnodar region, 11 over the Kaluga region, 4 over the Bryansk region and 1 over the Kursk region. Between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Moscow time, the ministry said another 27 drones were intercepted, including 15 over the Black Sea, 4 over occupied Crimea, 4 over the Perm region, 3 over the Krasnodar region and 1 over the Belgorod region.
Ukraine’s General Staff later confirmed the strikes, saying the Defense Forces hit the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region overnight on Monday. According to the statement, the target was struck and a fire broke out on the facility’s premises. The General Staff described the refinery as one of the largest oil-processing enterprises in southern Russia, with a total primary refining capacity of 6.6 million tons per year, and said it is involved in supplying the Russian military.
The statement added that Ukrainian forces also targeted Russian troop concentration areas in the temporarily occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region, including near Rozivka and Lyubymivka. Logistics facilities were reportedly hit in occupied Donetsk as well as near the settlement of Lidine in the Donetsk region. In addition, a communications hub of Russia’s 127th Motorized Rifle Division was struck near Zelenopil in the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region. The extent of the damage and Russian casualties is being clarified.