Archive · 10 Aug 2026
12 Killed in Ukrainian Drone Attack on Russia's Nizhnekamsk
Ukraine and Russia are fighting a war that has lasted more than four years.
Ukraine sent flying machines called drones to a Russian city named Nizhnekamsk.
The drones hit factories and other buildings, including a very big oil refinery that makes gasoline and diesel.
Officials say at least 12 people were killed and 39 were hurt, and some officials said 13 people died, including a child.
The leader of the Tatarstan region, Rustam Minnikhanov, declared a time of mourning for the victims.
Ukraine says it attacks Russian oil facilities so that Russia will feel the war at home and agree to stop it.
Russia called the attack terrorism and opened a criminal investigation, saying homes were also hit.
Russia also attacks Ukraine, and on Sunday people were killed in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and in Russia's Belgorod.
The World Health Organization said one of its warehouses in Ukraine was hit twice in less than a day.
Both countries say they do not target civilians, and reporters could not independently verify videos of the attack.
At least 12 people were killed and 39 wounded in a "massive" Ukrainian drone attack on Nizhnekamsk in Russia's Tatarstan region, with one Reuters report citing Russian investigators putting the toll at 13, including a child.
The attack hit industrial and civilian targets, including Tatneft's TANECO oil refinery, one of Russia's most technologically advanced, which was also struck by Ukraine in early June.
Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov declared a period of mourning, and Russian investigators opened a criminal case into what they called a terrorist attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cast the strikes as "justified responses" aimed at forcing Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to Russia's more than four-year-old invasion.
On Sunday, three people were killed and 37 wounded in a Russian attack on Kharkiv, five were killed and 25 wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on Belgorod, and a Russian artillery strike killed five in the village of Bugaivka, Ukrainian officials said.
- Who
- Ukrainian forces launched the drone attack; Russian officials, including Nizhnekamsk Mayor Radmir Belyayev and Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov, reported the casualties, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the broader campaign.
- What
- A "massive" Ukrainian drone attack on industrial and civilian targets in Nizhnekamsk, including Tatneft's TANECO oil refinery, killing at least 12 people and wounding 39.
- When
- Monday morning, August 10.
- Where
- Nizhnekamsk, in Russia's Tatarstan region, about 800 km (497 miles) east of Moscow and roughly 1,200 km (750 miles) east of the Ukrainian border.
- Why
- Part of Ukraine's near-daily campaign of long-range drone strikes on Russian oil facilities, which Zelenskyy says is meant to force President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the invasion.
Supporters of the Ukrainian strikes
Critics of the Ukrainian strikes
Strikes on Russian oil refineries
Supporters of the Ukrainian strikes
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls the strikes "justified responses" to Russian attacks, aimed at forcing Russia to negotiate an end to its invasion and making the war felt at home in Russia.
Critics of the Ukrainian strikes
Russian investigators call the attack a terrorist act; at least 12 people were killed, including a child according to one report, and 39 wounded in Nizhnekamsk, prompting Tatarstan to declare a period of mourning.
Impact on Russian fuel supplies
Supporters of the Ukrainian strikes
The near-daily campaign against oil facilities has caused fuel shortages across many parts of Russia and eaten into refining capacity, putting pressure on Moscow.
Critics of the Ukrainian strikes
Russian authorities say most of the initial fuel problems caused by the strikes have since been resolved, and Moscow has imported fuel from overseas to bolster supplies.
- Casualties
- At least 12 killed and 39 wounded per Tatarstan authorities; Russian investigators cited by one Reuters report said 13 killed, including a child
- Targets
- Industrial and civilian facilities, including Tatneft's TANECO oil refinery
- Location
- Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan region, Russia; about 800 km east of Moscow and roughly 1,200 km from the Ukrainian border
- City profile
- Population of about 240,000; home to two oil refineries and a petrochemical plant
- Refinery operator
- Tatneft
- Refinery 2024 output
- 17 million tons of crude oil; 2.7 million tons of gasoline; 8.5 million tons of diesel fuel
- Official response
- Period of mourning declared by head Rustam Minnikhanov; criminal case opened into a "terrorist attack"
- Related attacks
- Sunday: 3 killed, 37 wounded in Kharkiv; 5 killed, 25 wounded in Belgorod; 5 killed in Bugaivka village; WHO warehouse in Dnipro region hit twice in under 24 hours
Sources
12 Killed as Ukrainian Drone Strike Hits Russian City of Nizhnekamsk: Authorities
Ukraine kills 12 in drone strikes on Russian city of Nizhnekamsk, state media reports
12 killed And 39 Injured In Ukrainian Drone Attack On Russia