The Power Within: The Kyiv Independent’s first-ever magazine. Be among the first to get it.

pre-order now
Skip to content
Edit post

Russian media: Output of Russian oil refineries drop by 4% following drone attacks

by Elsa Court and The Kyiv Independent news desk February 6, 2024 2:44 PM 2 min read
Oil storage tanks stand at the RN-Tuapsinsky refinery, operated by Rosneft, in Tuapse, Russia, on March 22, 2020. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Russian oil refineries reduced refining operations by 4% in January 2024 compared to the same period the year before, partly due to "increased drone attacks," the Russian state-controlled media outlet Kommersant reported on Feb. 6, citing "sources familiar with industry statistics."

Multiple drone strikes have been reported on oil depots and refineries in Russia in January, including Bryansk, Oryol, and Leningrad oblasts, amid increasing claims of drones targeting Russian energy infrastructure.

According to Kommersant, an attack on an oil refinery in Tuapse in Krasnodar Krai on the night of Jan. 25 caused a 30% drop in output. Local residents reported seeing multiple drones flying over the region before and after the fire at the oil depot.

The attack contributed to the Russian energy company Rosneft reporting a 10% drop in oil refining compared to a year earlier, Kommersant said.

However, other refineries, such as those owned by Bashneft, a company controlled by Rosneft, increased refining output by 13%, Kommersant noted.

Bloomberg reported on Jan. 23 that Russian seaborne crude oil exports hit their lowest level in two months in the wake of an alleged attack on the Novatek gas plant near St. Petersburg overnight on Jan. 21.

Novatek is Russia's largest independent natural gas producer and exports oil products to international markets.

A fire also broke out at the Volgograd oil refinery overnight on Feb. 3. The local authorities claimed the fire started when a downed drone fell onto the site of the refinery.

Ukrainian authorities rarely comment on attacks on Russian soil.

Russian governor claims attempted drone attack on oil refinery in Yaroslavl
A drone attempted to attack one of the largest oil refineries in Russia located in Yaroslavl and was suppressed by electronic warfare, Mikhail Yevrayev, the regional governor, reported on Jan. 29.

News Feed

6:54 PM

Mariupol defender appointed commander of Azov Brigade amid military reform.

Following the start of Russia's full-scale war in 2022, Hrishenkov defended Mariupol, where he was injured. After 86 days of defending the encircled city under heavy Russian bombardment, he and about 2,500 other fighters left the Azovstal steel plant after Ukrainian commanders ordered the defending garrison to lay down their arms.
6:21 PM

4 days of hunting Russian drones.

The Kyiv Independent contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent four days following an air defense unit guarding the skies over a region in eastern Ukraine, seeing how they live, work, and save civilians from the dozens of Russian drones flying toward Ukrainian cities each night.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.