Moscow Oil Refinery halts production following May 17 attack, Reuters reports
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The Moscow Oil Refinery temporarily halted its processing operations following a large-scale May 17 Ukrainian drone attack, Reuters reported on May 19, citing industry sources.
The news comes just days after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said that it had conducted the operation jointly with Ukraine's Armed Forces on May 17, targeting military-industrial and fuel infrastructure in Moscow Oblast, including the Moscow Oil Refinery.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said 12 people were injured near the Moscow Oil Refinery in the Kapotnya district, in Ukraine's largest attack on the Russian capital in over a year.
Two industry sources told Reuters that while the attack did not cause substantial damage to the facility, Gazpromneft, the refinery's owners, halted production to mitigate risks following the attack.
The Kyiv Independent cannot verify the reports.
According to Reuters, the Moscow Oil Refinery processed 11.6 million metric tons of crude oil in 2024.
Temporary halts in oil production have become more common at Russian oil refineries in recent months amid an increase in Ukrainian attacks on oil facilities that fund Russia's war efforts in Ukraine.
According to data compiled by Bloomberg, Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil infrastructure reached a four-month high in April, with at least 21 attacks on refineries, pipelines, and oil assets at sea recorded.
Strikes have continued into May with reports Ukrainian drones reportedly striking an oil refinery near the city of Kstovo in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast overnight on May 20.
