Translated material
War
1515th day. Ukrainian drones again attack the Russian oil industry
Since February 24, 2022, Meduza has been broadcasting live about the Russian-Ukrainian war. We publish your letters every day because we are sure that we need to continue talking about the war. Share with us your thoughts about the war. What feelings are you experiencing? How does war affect your life and your attitude towards the world? If you have a story related to the war, tell it . The feedback form is at the end of this article. You can read the previous day's review here .
Russia
On the night of April 18, Ukrainian drones attacked four Russian oil industry facilities.
Two of them are located in the Samara region - these are oil refineries in Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran. Astra, having studied photographs of eyewitnesses, came to the conclusion that a fire broke out on the territory of the Novokuibyshevsky Oil Refinery, owned by Rosneft. Ukrainian drones have already attacked this enterprise in the fall of 2025. The second oil refinery - in Syzran - also belongs to Rosneft and has also been the target of Ukrainian attacks in the past - in November and December 2025, Astra recalls .
In addition, according to Astra, one of the drones fell in Novokuibyshevsk in a residential area. “Judging by the trajectory, the drone flew past the enterprise and could have deviated from the target,” reports the publication, which geolocated photos and videos of eyewitnesses.
The governor of the Samara region, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, reported on his social networks about a drone attack on the region. One of the drones, he wrote, fell “in close proximity to the maternity hospital in Novokuibyshevsk.” According to the governor, glass in the building was broken.
Fedorishchev also said that “arrivals were recorded at industrial enterprises in Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran,” without specifying that oil refineries were attacked. According to preliminary data, he added, there were no casualties.
In the Krasnodar Territory, the regional operational headquarters reported, on the night of April 18, an oil depot in Tikhoretsk caught fire. The regional authorities did not specify the cause of the fire, saying only that more than 200 people and 56 pieces of equipment were involved in extinguishing it. Judging by official reports, the fire was extinguished after nine hours.
Also on the night of April 18, as a result of a drone attack, a fire broke out in the Leningrad region on the territory of the port of Vysotsk, through which Russian oil is exported, said Governor Alexander Drozdenko. Judging by the posts in the telegram channel of the head of the region, the fire was extinguished after three hours. No people were injured, Drozdenko said.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed the attacks on Russian oil facilities, saying that all of them were “involved in supporting the armed forces” of Russia.
The Russian Ministry of Defense, in turn, stated that from 20:00 Moscow time on April 17 to 08:00 Moscow time on April 18, duty air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 258 Ukrainian drones, including over the Samara and Leningrad regions, as well as over the Krasnodar Territory.
War through the eyes of Meduza readers
Victoria (Stavropol) . We have practically no strategically important production facilities in our region, so it rarely flies to us. But the surrounding areas - the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region - are in constant fear due to frequent arrivals.
I am against war in principle, any, between any countries, I believe that all problems can be solved diplomatically. It’s a pity that they don’t consult me, otherwise there would be peace in the world. Well, that’s right, a touch of humor, but to be honest, it’s already hysterical laughter...
Strong tension and fatigue from such a life have accumulated. People, close and not so close, who don’t care, are annoying. They are not interested in anything, they bury their heads in the sand and avoid conversations. At the same time I am ashamed of them and scared. And I’m also ashamed of the country - and not only of the ghouls in the government, but also of the servile, stupid people who, apart from imperial chauvinism and hatred of all those who “live well,” feel nothing.
For the first time in 45 years of my life, I felt ashamed that I was Russian. I never thought that I would live to see this moment. I am looking for an opportunity to leave the country and take my only child, because I want him to have a happy and free future.
For me freedom is the most important thing. I don’t understand how you can live differently and not fight for it. The only option for Russians to become free is the collapse of the empire. She can no longer exist in her disgusting form. The empire must die and be reborn into something fundamentally new. Better a terrible ending than endless horror.
How we choose letters
Meduza's readers live in different countries and have different attitudes towards the war. We publish your letters to see this event through your eyes. Our editors try to present all points of view, even if they do not coincide with the editorial position. However, in accordance with the Meduza code, we do not publish messages that contain “hate speech,” justify the murder of civilians, or express direct support for an aggressive war.