Ukraine struck the Tobolskneftekhim petrochemical plant in the city of Tobolsk, in Russia’s Tyumen region on Monday, Aug. 10, damaging Russia’s largest petrochemical plant in western Siberia, located more than 1,550 miles from the border.
Regional governor Alexander Moor reported the strike around 1 p.m. local time, saying that falling drones caused a fire at an industrial facility. “Emergency service specialists are working at the scene,” Moor said, adding that the situation is under his “personal control.”
He urged Russian residents not to distribute video recordings and photographs of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), warning that doing so carries legal penalties.
Ukraine confirms the strike
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) confirmed the strike in a Telegram post hours later, specifying that the attack hit the plant’s central gas fractionation unit (CGFU).
“The plant produces raw materials that are critically important to Russia’s military-industrial complex,” the General Staff said, adding that the strike is conducted as part of broader efforts to reduce the military-economic potential of Russia’s war machine.
No casualties were confirmed at the site, and neither the General Staff nor regional governor Moor disclosed the number of drones involved in the attack.
Zelensky praises the strike’s reach
President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the strike as a significant achievement in his statement on Telegram, noting that Tobolsk is now within Ukraine’s reach.
He added that even deeper strikes would follow, “which should demonstrate to Russia and the Russians that peace is necessary.”
Citing Russia’s own internal polling data, Zelensky said that a growing number of Russians want the war to end.
“This is the first time in Russia’s history that they no longer have a secure strategic rear,” he continued, adding that “for the first time, they cannot wage war without reinforcements from North Korea.
His remarks come as Russia’s Supreme Court removed on Monday, Aug. 10 the only registered liberal and openly pro-peace party Yabloko from the upcoming State Duma elections in September.
North Korea has become one of Russia’s most critical wartime partners. Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) estimated that North Korea supplies between 25% and 40% of Russia’s artillery shells.
Moscow signed a defense pact with Pyongyang on June 19, 2024, with both countries officially recognizing North Korean troop deployments in April 2025.
Russia is preparing to receive 30,000 additional North Korean troops and more ballistic missile launchers, according to Zelensky on July 29.
Among Russia’s largest plants
The damaged unit processes about 6.6 million tons (around 14.5 billion pounds) of feedstock annually, and forms a key part of the production complex at one of the largest petrochemical enterprises in both Russia and Europe.
According to the General Staff, the facility produces butadiene, isobutylene, maleic anhydride, and MTBE, a high-octane oxygenate additive – all used in the manufacturing process of rocket fuel components, aviation fuel, and composite materials for drones.
“Ukraine’s Defense Forces will continue to systematically carry out measures aimed at ending the armed aggression of the Russian Federation,” the General Staff said.
As both sides continue to exchange strikes, this latest attack adds to a broader series of Ukraine’s attacks on Russia’s critical oil and energy infrastructure, as well as military-industrial sites deep inside Russian territory.
On Aug. 8, Ukrainian attack drones struck two major Russian oil refineries, sparking large fires at the Syzran and Ilsky facilities as part of an overnight barrage across multiple Russian regions.
The coordinated refinery strikes follow another deep-strike operation on Aug. 7, targeting Russia’s vulnerable civilian logistics network.
On the same day, Ukrainian drone struck a Wildberries warehouse in Yekaterinburg, over 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) from the Ukrainian border, as part of a sustained, effective campaign against Wildberries, Russia’s largest e-commerce retailer.
Meanwhile, Russia has focused its attacks on Ukraine’s defense industry, logistics, ports, railways, and energy facilities supporting critical infrastructure.