Belarusian Man Fined Over Explosion at Russian Oil Field That Injured Workers

Reform.news Editorial Team · 23 October 2026, 09:16

https://reform.news/en/belarusian-man-fined-over-explosion-at-russian-oil-field-that-injured-workers/

A Belarusian citizen has been fined 300,000 Russian rubles in the Purovsky District of Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug for violating industrial safety requirements. Workers employed by contractors sustained serious injuries in an explosion and fire at the Festivalnoye oil field, the district prosecutor’s office reported.

The accident occurred on the evening of May 10, 2025. A drilling crew led by the defendant was attempting to free stuck drilling equipment.

According to the prosecutor’s office, when signs emerged that gas, water and oil were entering the well, the person in charge failed to take timely measures to seal the wellhead and did not stop the extraction of the equipment. An explosion and fire followed.

Contractor employees suffered burns and fractures classified as grievous bodily harm. The fire also caused damage to six companies. The report did not specify the number of people injured or the amount of the damage.

The court found the Belarusian citizen guilty under Part 1 of Article 217 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers violations of industrial safety requirements at hazardous production facilities. In addition to the fine, he was banned from holding managerial positions at companies operating such facilities. The prosecutor’s office did not specify the duration of the ban.

The verdict has not yet entered into legal force. The case was investigated by the Investigative Committee of Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.