Technical Glitch Sparks Blaze at Russian Oil Refinery

A fire broke out at the Ufimsky oil refinery in Ufa due to technical issues, prompting a response from about 100 firefighters. Located 1,500 km from Ukraine, the Bashneft-owned refinery sustained no damage to its main production facilities. The fire was extinguished without harmful atmospheric substances detected.

A fire erupted at Ufimsky oil refinery in the Russian city of Ufa, fueled by technical malfunctions, according to official reports on Monday. The incident, which lasted overnight, was brought under control without further specified damages.

Owned by Bashneft, the refinery has a 168,000-barrel daily capacity and sources its oil predominantly from Bashkiria and western Siberia. Despite the blaze starting near a furnace, critical production facilities remained unaffected, confirmed Bashneft's spokesperson via Interfax.

Concerns of potential explosions were circulated by various Telegram channels, though these reports remain unverified. Meanwhile, Russia's defense ministry noted the downing of seven Ukrainian drones elsewhere, reflecting ongoing tensions in the region. Ukraine has made no official comments regarding the refinery incident.

(With inputs from agencies.)