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Russia opens terrorism case after drone attack damages industrial site in Nizhny Novgorod
A general view of the Lukoil refinery in Volgograd, Russia, taken by drone, on 22 April 2022.
Reuters
Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on terrorism charges after a large-scale overnight drone attack on Saturday damaged an industrial facility and civilian infrastructure in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said on Sunday that the case was opened under Article 205 of Russia's Criminal Code, which covers terrorist acts. Investigators are working to identify the type of drones used and the members of Ukrainian armed units involved, she said.
Regional governor Gleb Nikitin said more than 100 drones were destroyed over the region overnight and into Sunday morning. He said a facility in the Kstovo district was significantly damaged but no one was hurt, according to preliminary information. A utility site was also hit, and residents were warned of possible power cuts and reduced heating and hot water.
Refinery reportedly targeted
Russian officials have not identified the damaged facility. Ukrainian media and open-source monitoring projects said the drones struck the NORSI Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery in Kstovo, one of Russia's largest, with a capacity of around 17 million tonnes of crude oil a year. Footage shared online showed a large fire, but the target has not been officially confirmed.
The regional government said it was taking steps to maintain supplies at petrol stations and urged drivers to avoid panic buying. Ukraine has not commented on the attack.
Dispute over refinery strikes
The strike came amid a dispute over Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. A day earlier, Moscow accused Kyiv of resuming strikes on Russian refineries despite a request from U.S. President Donald Trump to halt them. Trump has blamed such attacks for pushing up diesel prices ahead of next week's U.S. midterm elections.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who oversees the energy sector, said on Sunday that Ukrainian strikes on refineries were adding to imbalances in global fuel markets. He did not refer to the Nizhny Novgorod attack.
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