A fire broke out at the Nikolskoye linear production and dispatch station (LPDS), a key facility supporting Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline system, in the Tambov region early on Oct. 20.
Ukrainian monitoring channels and Russian independent media outlet Astra reported that the site had been struck by Ukrainian drones.
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Tambov Regional Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov confirmed a fire at an unidentified facility in the Michurinsky district. He said there were no casualties and that Russian air defenses had shot down four drones over the region.
Ukrainian monitoring channels Supernova+ and Exilenova+ identified the target as the Nikolskoye LPDS, which is part of the Druzhba pipeline network that transports Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. They reported that a storage tank containing diesel fuel was on fire.
Astra also reported a drone strike on the station, citing its analysis of eyewitness footage. According to the outlet, one of the facility’s two production sites, located near the village of Novonikolskoye, was burning.
In a report published at 10:20 a.m., Exilenova+ disputed claims by local authorities that the fire had been extinguished.
“The so-called authorities of Michurinsk claimed that the fire at the LPDS had been promptly extinguished; however, this is not true. One storage tank continues to burn,” the channel reported.
The station is owned by Russian pipeline operator Transneft and is a key node in the Druzhba trunk oil pipeline system. It handles the receipt, storage, and distribution of oil and petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, aviation kerosene, and fuel oil.
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The facility includes three tank farms, two pumping stations, and three loading terminals, with a reported pumping capacity of up to 300,000 tons per day.
The reported strike came a day after Pervyshov said the fuel supply situation in the Tambov region had stabilized.
On Oct. 19, the governor ordered the suspension of an “even-odd” gasoline rationing system at Rosneft and Lukoil filling stations, while warning that the restrictions could be reinstated if the situation deteriorated in the event of further Ukrainian attacks.
Previous strikes disrupted Druzhba oil supplies
The Nikolskoye station has been targeted before. In the summer of 2025, Ukrainian forces struck the facility at least twice, according to previous reports.
During an attack in August 2025, a fire broke out and a transformer substation was damaged, temporarily disrupting oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline. Hungary and Slovakia reported the interruption at the time.
Ukraine’s General Staff said the station was among the facilities supplying fuel-based materials to Russian forces involved in the occupation of Ukraine.
Astra reports strike on building in occupied Donetsk
Separately, Astra reported that a building at 60 Postysheva Street in the Voroshilovsky district of Russian-occupied Donetsk had been struck.
According to the outlet’s open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysis, around 27 organizations are linked to the address, including businesses in telecommunications, banking, construction, retail, insurance, and consulting.
Among them, according to Exilnova+ are local telecommunications operator Ugletelekom, internet service provider FTICOM, the Central Republican Bank, construction companies Novaya Territoriya and Novy Donetsk 2024, and insurance companies Spas and VUSO.
Astra’s analysis identified visible damage on the building’s third, fifth, sixth, and seventh floors. The circumstances of the strike and the extent of the damage have not been independently verified.
Russia claims 136 Ukrainian drones intercepted overnight
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 136 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones between 8 p.m. Moscow time on Oct. 19 and 8 a.m. on Oct. 20.
The ministry said the drones were intercepted over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Lipetsk, Oryol, Pskov, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tambov, Tver, and Tula regions, as well as the Moscow region.
Ukraine has not yet commented on its possible involvement in the reported attacks.
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.