Ukrainian strikes cut Russia's oil refining capacity by 30%, Reuters reports
on Google
Renewed Ukrainian drone attacks since late October have reduced Russia's oil refining capacity by around 30%, Reuters reported on Nov. 10, citing two industry sources. The sources estimate that actual crude processing might have fallen by about 200,000 tons per day to 700,000 tons per day.
Over the past week, Ukrainian attacks disrupted operations or caused emergency situations at nine of Russia's 35 major refineries, according to Reuters. The facilities affected by strikes have a combined daily processing capacity of around 300,000 metric tons per day, or 2.2 million barrels, compared with Russia's total primary refining capacity of approximately 930,000 tons per day, Reuters said.
The affected facilities include refineries in Ryazan, Yaroslavl, and the Volga region. On Nov. 9, a Ukrainian drone strike set fire to the Kirishi refinery in Leningrad Oblast, Russia's second-largest refinery, according to the regional governor. Elsewhere in Leningrad Oblast, debris from a Ukrainian drone fell on an apartment building in the town of Vsevolozhsk during the attack, killing a woman, the governor added.
The campaign follows a series of strikes on Russian oil infrastructure in October. On Oct. 30, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak confirmed attacks on three refineries and a gas-chemical complex. Ukrainian defense company Fire Point also said its drones had struck the Novokuybyshevsk refinery in Samara Oblast that day.
The attacks come as Russia faces renewed pressure on its domestic fuel supply while continuing to export diesel abroad.
On Oct. 9, US President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow Russian diesel exports to the United States. The first tanker carrying around 40,000 metric tons of Russian diesel subsequently headed for the US on Oct. 22.
Trump also unilaterally announced an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on Oct. 11, amid US pressure on Kyiv to stop targeting Russian refineries.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 11 that Ukraine would only halt attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow stopped targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
