Fire at Russian oil refinery leaves people dead, injured, officials say

A fire broke out at an oil refinery in northwestern Russia on Sunday, killing and injuring people, local officials said.

The regional governor said the fire was not caused by a Ukrainian drone strike and investigators opened criminal proceedings on suspicion of negligence.

The fire near the town of Ukhta in northwestern Russia injured at least three people, the Komi Emergency Situations Ministry said. Regional investigators said the fire also caused deaths, but did not say how many. They did not say whether the fire had been extinguished.

“Today a fire occurred at an oil refinery in the city of Ukhta during planned technical work by a contractor, resulting in deaths and injuries,” the investigative service wrote on Telegram.

Investigators have opened a criminal case for possible negligence at the oil refinery.

Regional Governor Vladimir Uyba said the fire was not linked to a drone strike. In recent months, Russian refineries and oil terminals have become priority targets for Ukrainian drone attacks, as part of intensified assaults on Russian territory.

Local authorities did not specify which company the refinery belongs to, but images released by the local Ministry of Emergency Situations show the logo of oil giant Lukoil.