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One of Russia's largest oil refineries reportedly suspends operations after Ukrainian attack

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One of Russia's largest oil refineries reportedly suspends operations after Ukrainian attack
The Ryazan Oil Refinery in Ryazan Oblast, Russia. (Wikipedia)

Russia's Ryazan oil refinery, which supplies fuel to Moscow Oblast, halted oil processing at its main crude distillation unit on Oct. 23, Reuters reported, citing two unnamed industry sources.

The shutdown follows a Ukrainian drone strike on the refinery on Oct. 23 and marks the latest success in Kyiv's campaign targeting Russia's energy sector to disrupt Moscow's war effort.

The plant is Russia's fourth-largest oil refinery. It processed 13.1 million tons of oil last year and accounted for 5% of Russia's total refinery capacity, according to Russian estimates.

Following the attack, a fire broke out at the plant after the CDU-4 primary processing unit, with a capacity of 4 million tons per year, or 80,000 barrels per day, caught fire and was shut down.

The fire led to the suspension of operations at several neighboring units, including a reformer, vacuum gasoil hydrotreater, and catalytic cracker, according to Reuters sources.

The Ryazan refinery already shut down part of its capacity in February and again in September.

The plant is located in Ryazan Oblast, central Russia, roughly 200 kilometers (124 miles) southeast of Moscow. The region serves as an important industrial and transportation hub.

Ukrainian strikes have targeted at least 16 of Russia's 38 oil refineries since August 2025, according to the Financial Times, pushing Russian diesel exports down to their lowest level since 2020.

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Tim Zadorozhnyy

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Tim Zadorozhnyy is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in foreign policy, U.S.-Ukraine relations, and political developments across Europe and Russia. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations and the European Studies program at Lazarski University, offered in partnership with Coventry University. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa in 2022. After relocating to Warsaw, he spent a year and a half with the Belarusian independent media outlet NEXTA, initially as a news anchor and later as managing editor. Tim is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian.

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