Moscow Oil Refinery reportedly on fire again
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Smoke and fire were reported at Moscow's oil refinery on July 10, according to Telegram monitoring channels, though the cause of the blaze has not been confirmed.
The Moscow Oil Refinery, operated by Gazprom Neft, is the primary supplier of gasoline and diesel fuel to Moscow and the surrounding region.
Footage shared online appeared to show thick black smoke rising on the territory of the Moscow Oil Refinery in the capital's Kapotnya district. The monitoring channel Exilenova+ reported a fire in the area, but no official information on the cause was immediately available.
Russia's Emergency Ministry denied reports of an incident at the Moscow Oil Refinery.
"In connection with information circulating on social media, the Main Directorate of Russia's Emergency Ministry for Moscow reports that no incidents have been recorded on the territory of the Moscow Oil Refinery," the ministry's press service said.
It remains unclear whether the refinery itself was damaged or whether its operations were affected.
The Moscow Oil Refinery is unlikely to resume production before the end of 2026 after suffering extensive damage in Ukrainian drone attacks earlier this year, according to a June 24 Reuters report citing industry sources. The report said repairs to the facility, which was struck by Ukrainian drones twice in June, are expected to take at least six months.
The incident also comes a day after another key Russian refinery, the Saratov Oil Refinery, halted production following a Ukrainian drone attack. The refinery is operated by Rosneft and processes around 7 million metric tons of crude oil annually.
Separately, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed that Ukrainian forces struck a number of Russian military and energy-related targets overnight on July 10.
According to the General Staff, Ukrainian forces hit the Ilsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai, the Kurgannefteprodukt oil terminal in Taganrog, the Azovnefteprodukt oil depot in Azov, and the NOVATEK-Ust-Luga oil-processing complex in Leningrad Oblast. A Russian fuel and lubricants depot near Rozivka in the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast was also struck.
The General Staff also said Ukrainian forces hit 18 Russian vessels — 13 tankers, three dry cargo ships, a ferry, and an auxiliary vessel — which were used to support Russian military logistics and transport fuel, military cargo, and other supplies for Russia's war against Ukraine.
The extent of the damage is being assessed.
Ukraine's campaign targeting Russian oil refineries has mounted pressure on the Kremlin by exacerbating a domestic fuel supply crisis that has led to fuel shortages, rising prices, export restrictions, and sales limits in multiple Russian regions.
On July 8, the Russian government announced a temporary ban on diesel exports until at least the end of the month in an effort to stabilize domestic supplies.
