Ukrainian drone strikes force Saratov oil plant to suspend primary processing, Reuters reports
A Russian oil refinery in Saratov halted primary processing on Nov. 11 following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes, Reuters reported on Nov. 14, citing undisclosed sources.
The refinery has been a frequent target of Ukrainian drones this fall, with the latest strike occurring overnight on Nov. 14 — the fourth since September.
The Nov. 11 attack triggered explosions and a large fire at the facility, and the plant may remain offline until the end of the month, the sources said.
One of the more recent strikes also ignited a large storage tank at the site.
Sources indicated that CDU-6, the refinery's only crude distillation unit, may have been hit in the attack. The refinery is capable of processing roughly 20,000 metric tons of oil per day, equivalent to about 147,000 barrels.
The attack is one of the latest regular long-range strikes on Russian refining capability deep inside Russia, which have escalated greatly in scale and frequency over 2025.
The Saratov refinery produces over 20 types of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, bitumen, and more.
The facility, whose processing volume amounted to 4.8 million metric tons in 2023, helps supply the Russian military, according to Ukraine's General Staff.
Saratov lies roughly 150 km (100 miles) from the border with Kazakhstan and nearly 600 kilometers (370 miles) east of the front line in Ukraine.
