Russia's Saratov oil refinery halts operations after Ukrainian drone strike, Bloomberg reports
An oil refinery in Russia's Saratov Oblast owned by the Russian energy giant Rosneft has halted oil intake following a Ukrainian drone attack, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 11, citing a source familiar with the situation.
The refinery was hit by drones on Aug. 10, with local witnesses reporting a large fire and explosions at the facility. The strike killed one person and injured others, according to Saratov Oblast Governor Roman Busargin.
The Saratov refinery has now stopped oil intake, according to Bloomberg's source. The Rosneft facility has a processing capacity of 140,000 barrels of crude per day, meaning a lengthy operational pause could impact domestic gasoline supplies.
Russia has already been attempting to stabilize the gasoline market amid surging prices, which are likely also exacerbated by Ukrainian strikes on oil infrastructure.
Ukraine regularly launches long-range drone attacks on industrial and military facilities in Russia. Oil refineries, which fund and supply Moscow's war machine, are frequent targets.
While Kyiv rarely claims official credit for its attacks on Russian refineries, the Ukrainian military confirmed that it struck the Rosneft refinery in Saratov Oblast in February 2025. Officials have not commented on the latest reported strike.
The Saratov plant is the third Russian oil refinery to cut operations this month due to Ukrainian strikes. Russia's Ryazan refinery halved its production and the Novokuibyshevsk refinery halted it completely on Aug. 2 after drone attacks, according to Reuters.
