Ukraine Hits Perm Twice in 24 Hours, Hazard Alert Sounds Across City as Key Oil Facilities Burn

Fires reported at key oil facilities in the Perm region as Ukraine also appears to attack Sverdlov Plant in Dzerzhinsk – one of Russia’s largest producers of explosives. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied (Photo by Telegram channel CyberBoroshno) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Explosions were heard in Russia ’s Perm for the second day in a row: following a new drone strike on the morning of Thursday, April 30, authorities declared an accident involving the release of a hazardous substance. According to videos published by the Russian outlet Astra , a warning about the accident was broadcast over loudspeakers throughout the city. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . “There has been an accident involving the release of a hazardous substance,” the announcement can be heard saying in the footage. At the same time, an air alert was declared in the Perm region. Videos shared by local residents show a characteristic white, mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke rising above the city. On April 29, drones struck the Perm Linear Production Dispatch Station (LPDS). As of Thursday morning, Telegram channels reported that the fire was still ongoing. On Thursday, a second strike followed. The Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ reported that explosions and a fire occurred at Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez as a result of a strike by a Lyuty drone. “LPDS Perm is a ‘transportation artery’, and Permnefteorgsintez is a ‘processing plant.’ They operate within the same oil chain,” the channel said. Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez is one of Russia’s largest refineries, with a capacity of about 13 million tons per year. The plant is a strategic enterprise of Lukoil in the Urals and supplies fuel for both the civilian market and the needs of the Russian military. Other Topics of Interest Sweden Seizes ‘Shadow Fleet’ Ship Suspected of Carrying Grain from Occupied Crimea Although prosecutors did not explicitly link the vessel to Russia, Sweden’s coastguard previously said the ship’s captain was a Russian national suspected of using false documents. Exilenova+ later reported that a new tank caught fire at the Perm LPDS, while one of the pressurized units was burning at the refinery. “One of the AVT units at the Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez plant is on fire – specifically AVT-4. Atmospheric-vacuum distillation is the main primary oil processing unit at the refinery, where crude oil is separated into fuel fractions,” the report said. Later, the OSINT Telegram channel CyberBoroshno reported that, based on analysis of media materials, it had been confirmed that a Lyuty drone struck the AVT-4 unit – specifically the vacuum column – with the fire also spreading to the atmospheric distillation column. “Damage to both columns effectively puts the unit completely out of operation,” the report added. Regional Governor Dmitry Makhonin wrote on Telegram that on Thursday “an enemy drone struck one of the industrial sites in the Perm Territory.” “Employees are in protective shelters. There are no injuries or significant damage. There is no threat to residents’ lives or health. There is no chemical hazard,” the statement said. According to him, operational and emergency services are working at the scene, while the “Unmanned Danger” and “Carpet” regimes remain in effect in the region. Astra also reported that classes at universities in Perm were canceled due to the drone attack. The Higher School of Economics in Perm and the Perm branch of Plekhanov Russian State University announced a switch to distance learning for at least Thursday. Classes were also canceled at Perm State National Research University. Meanwhile, in the early hours of April 30, Ukrainian drones also attacked Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region, according to local residents cited by the Russian outlet Shot. Residents reported hearing around 10 explosions in different parts of the city. Explosions were also heard in the southern and central areas of Kstovo, near Nizhny Novgorod. Regional authorities have not officially commented on the reported attack. According to Astra ’s analysis of eyewitness footage, the target in Dzerzhinsk was the Sverdlov Plant. A column of smoke was seen rising above the facility following the strike. The Sverdlov Plant is one of Russia’s largest producers of explosives, with a history of more than 100 years. It is part of the country’s military-industrial complex and holds strategic importance. The plant is included in Kyiv’s sanctions list “for supporting actions that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.” It has also been sanctioned by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Switzerland. Ukrainian drones have previously targeted the facility. In October 2024, one of its workshops was damaged in a strike. According to the Russian Defense Ministry , overnight air defenses “intercepted and destroyed” 189 Ukrainian drones over multiple Russian regions. However, Ukraine has not officially commented on the latest strikes. On Wednesday, Ukrainian drones struck two Russian cities – Orsk and Perm – hitting an oil refinery and a key pipeline facility. Orsk, located about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from the Ukrainian border, was targeted in a strike confirmed by OSINT analysts from Astra. They reported that the Orsknefteorgsintez refinery – one of Russia’s largest, processing 5–6 million tons of oil annually – was hit. In the Perm region, Governor Makhonin said a drone struck an industrial site in the Perm municipal district. Workers were evacuated, and no injuries were reported, though a fire broke out. According to OSINT analysis cited by Exilenova+, the fire occurred at the Perm LPDS – a critical node in the Transneft system responsible for pumping, storing, and distributing oil through trunk pipelines. The facility supplies crude to regional refineries and links to export routes via ports including Primorsk, Ust-Luga, Novorossiysk, and Tuapse. The channel also reported “oil rain” in parts of Perm, similar to earlier incidents in Tuapse . President Volodymyr Zelensky later published footage from Perm, effectively confirming Ukraine’s involvement. He said he had received a report from the acting Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) head, Major General Yevhen Khmara, describing the strikes as part of “Ukrainian long-range sanctions” – a new phase in efforts to degrade Russia’s war capacity. “These are fair Ukrainian responses to Russian terror,” Zelensky said, adding that the strikes target Russia’s military production, logistics, and oil export infrastructure. He also called for a shift toward diplomacy, saying Moscow “must hear this signal.” SBU later confirmed the strike on the Perm facility, stating that its Alpha Special Operations Center targeted the linear production and dispatching station located more than 1,500 kilometers from the border. According to preliminary reports, the drone strike triggered a large-scale fire, with most oil storage tanks reportedly burning. Julia is a Deputy Head of News and correspondent for Kyiv Post who has previously worked as a parliamentary editor, journalist, and news editor. She has specialized in covering the work of the Ukrainian parliament, government, and law enforcement agencies.