Russia's Largest Oil Refinery Engulfed by Fire: Video

A huge fire broke out at major oil refinery in the Russian city of Omsk on Thursday, with footage circulating on social media showing large flames engulfing the structure.

The massive fire resulted in towering plumes of black smoke surrounding Gazprom Neft's refinery, Telegram Channel 112 reported. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause.

Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, posted on X about the incident, saying the fire covered an area of more than 3,000 square feet, citing Russian media. He said the refinery is the largest in Russia, it can produce 22 million tons of oil per year and that it employs 3,500 workers.

Moscow confirmed the blaze at the refinery and said that the cause is as yet unknown, according to Telegram Channel 112. Newsweek reached out to the Russian foreign ministry for comment.

The Telegram Channel 112 reported that the AVT-10 primary processing complex was on fire at the Omsk oil refinery. The fire was extinguished by units of the Emergency Situations Ministry in the Omsk region, which is in the southwest of Siberia.

There have been several incidents behind enemy lines that Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for. Getting clear information on reports of drone strikes in Russia can be tricky, with Ukraine often not making any comment.

A mysterious fire ripped through a factory in Yekaterinburg, which produces military and space components, local authorities reported on Tuesday.

In June, explosions and smoke plumes were reported at Cape Chauda in annexed Crimea, and recently a Ukrainian drone targeted the Bryansk region in an aerial barrage.

Attacks on Russian soil are a tricky issue with Ukraine's Western allies, who fear an escalation of the war. While Kyiv has repeatedly pushed for the freedom to launch long-range strikes with Western weapons into Russia, Moscow has warned this could lead to a broader conflict.

Russia has also used drones and missiles repeatedly to target Ukrainian infrastructure such as energy facilities.

Russia currently exports 7.5 million barrels of oil per day, only slightly less than Saudi Arabia, according to the International Energy Agency. To evade Western sanctions, Russia has deployed a "shadow fleet" of oil tankers, buying and leasing hundreds of vessels that do not comply with sanctions.

The latest incident comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Russia's attempts to conquer Kharkiv as a "failure" and said Russian troops are changing their focus on the frontline in Ukraine.

Russia launched an offensive in the northeast of Kharkiv Oblast in May. While soldiers made minor gains, the Kharkiv offensive was widely viewed to have stagnated. Russia captured villages in Donetsk Oblast and pushed toward Chasiv Yar.

The Ukrainian president said Russian forces are now focused on the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk, 175 miles south of Kharkiv.

The first F-16 fighter jets sent to Ukraine by Western allies to help in its air defense against the Russian invasion have taken to the skies.

The first batch of long-awaited F-16 jets were spotted in action on Thursday in a landmark moment for the war-torn country. The Kremlin has claimed that the F-16s will have no significant impact on the conflict.

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