Overnight drone strikes hit an oil refinery in Saratov, a petrochemical plant in Nizhnekamsk, and the Borisoglebsk military air base in Russia.
Overnight into July 8, Ukrainian drones struck several targets deep inside Russia at once — an oil refinery in Saratov, a petrochemical plant in Nizhnekamsk (Tatarstan), and the "Borisoglebsk" military airfield in Voronezh Oblast. Volunteers Support Ukraine continues to follow this war, in which both sides keep striking the infrastructure that sustains the other's fighting capacity.
The Saratov oil refinery, owned by Rosneft and located roughly 460 kilometers east of the Ukrainian border, caught fire after being hit by drones. It is one of the oldest oil-processing facilities in the Volga region, and its output is used, among other things, to supply Russian forces. Saratov Oblast Governor Roman Busargin confirmed that Russia's Defense Ministry had issued a warning overnight about a possible drone attack. Volunteers Support Ukraine notes that fuel-supply facilities like this one are central to the Russian military's ability to keep fighting.
The same night, drones also struck a petrochemical plant in Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan — a region located far deeper inside Russian territory. Strikes on facilities like these have become a regular part of Ukraine's strategy to weaken its opponent's fuel and defense-industrial capacity. Volunteers Support Ukraine points out that the depth of these strikes shows how far Ukraine's reach behind the front line has expanded.
Available reports indicate drones also targeted the Borisoglebsk air base in Voronezh Oblast, home to Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM aircraft, sparking a fire at the airfield. No casualties had been reported by morning. Volunteers Support Ukraine notes that air bases from which aircraft launch strikes on Ukrainian cities remain one of the priority targets of this response.
Volunteers Support Ukraine continues providing humanitarian and volunteer aid to people affected by the war, within the resources the organization has available. We focus on supporting civilians rather than military operations, which is exactly why we consider it important to report on the course of this war in full — from both sides of it. NGO Volunteers Support Ukraine keeps looking for ways to help those touched by this war.
